Runescape 4 is coming, however not earlier than the MMORPG will get its ‘Traditional second’ with Runescape Reignited

Runescape 4 is actual. After laying out a complete wealth of content material coming to its longstanding MMORPG at Runefest 2026, together with an animated collection made in collaboration with Charlie ‘MoistCr1tikal’ White, Jagex confirmed that it is at present engaged on an all-new sport, dubbed the “fourth pillar” of the studio alongside OSRS and Dragonwilds. It’s going to seemingly be fairly a while earlier than we get our fingers on it, however that is okay, as a result of the Runescape 3 roadmap is wanting somewhat stacked proper now, together with a “new starting” this December with Runescape Reignited, which you’ll attempt totally free at launch.

I did not come into this 12 months’s festivities anticipating a very new Runescape MMO, but I completely bought chills because the teaser of adventurers wandering by way of metropolis streets and flying throughout the skies of a completely 3D world performed out. Might it’s? Then, the fade to black, and a burning ‘4.’ The design may be very a lot that of Runescape Dragonwilds, definitively cartoony and shiny, albeit way more ‘life like’ in its visuals than what we’re used to from the MMO facet of the collection. In the meanwhile, we’re simply instructed that it is “in improvement,” though Dragonwilds Government Producer Jesse America was in a position to give me some further particulars previous to the reveal throughout a roundtable presentation.

“On the Dragonwilds roadmap at a sure level, there was one thing referred to as Shadows of Ashenfall in 2027.” America explains that this was deliberate to ship the basics and artstyle of the survival sport gamers already liked, however with extra of a social focus. “We truly made designs for an enlargement that might carry up Dragonwilds into the realm of the everyday Jagex sport with persistent servers, excessive participant counts, and plenty of social options. A social hub, player-to-player buying and selling, all of that great things you see within the MMOs.”

America says the group at Jagex “embraced that problem with plenty of inventive ambition and plenty of enthusiasm,” however shortly began to understand from the early prototypes that what they had been constructing “primarily can be an MMO, and that it deserved its personal sport – to not be part of Dragonwilds, however to face alone as Jagex’s fourth, new pillar.” He notes that it is nonetheless “actually early days,” however that the whole studio is engaged on the challenge collectively. “In due time, we could have extra details about all of it.”

Placing that pleasure apart, the opposite huge reveal for the fashionable sport is a flash again to its previous: Runescape Reignited. If OSRS is actually the Jagex equal to World of Warcraft Endlessly – having returned to a definite level within the MMO’s historical past earlier than branching out to change into one thing unbiased and new – then Reignited is Runescape Traditional. It is set to launch on Tuesday December 2, and takes us again 25 years to expertise a remastered Gielinor because it was when it first launched in 2001.

“This can be a relaunch of this sport that all of us love,” Affiliate Artistic Director Ryan Philpott explains, the place you will begin from scratch with a brand new character and expertise Runescape “as if it was launched right this moment.” Jagex is working to verify the UI movement, onboarding, quests, and environments are all polished “to carry as much as fashionable requirements.” For launch, that is targeted on the early expertise, with work set to proceed “shifting into 2027 and past.”

Reignited will function a brand new ‘journey information’ to assist your journey and be sure you have the instruments and data to succeed. “We all know that Runescape is a big sport of large breadth and depth over the past 25 years, and we all know that it may be overwhelming at instances to both begin out or to return.” The journey information is subsequently your “beneficial journey by way of the sport, that includes the important thing options: form of a ‘curated path’ of what Runescape has to supply.”

Moreover, the launch of Runescape Reignited permits Jagex to supply one other new function. “We will be introducing one thing referred to as the Corridor of Legends, a spot the place we’ll immortalize gamers who obtain the world first as a part of enjoying Reignited. The primary individual to, say, attain 99 Woodcutting – they are going to have a statue of their character positioned in-game throughout the Corridor of Legends to immortalize themselves in our sport endlessly.” To have a good time Reignited’s launch, there’ll even be a ten-day free trial for all.

For many who simply need to hold enjoying fashionable Runescape, you are not being left within the dust both – removed from it. Jagex’s 2027 Runescape roadmap may be seen above, and it kicks off this month with the official launch of neighborhood plugins, supplying you with extra methods to customise your expertise. Past that, the approaching 12 months is damaged up into three distinct story arcs: Hoard of Dragons, Metropolis of Gnomes, and Secrets and techniques of Karamja.

Philpott tells me Horde of Dragons is deliberate for “the start of January,” and teases that “the world will evolve because the arc performs out.” This primary chapter introduces the long-awaited tier improve that’s Grandmaster Clue Scrolls, an Agility rework promising “improved sport integration,” and the sequel to the Dragon Slayer quest (that is a brand new take, somewhat than the Dragon Slayer II of OSRS). Following that’s Metropolis of Gnomes, which facilities across the continuation of the Gnome storyline that first started in 2002.

Metropolis of Gnomes will introduce a Grandmaster quest referred to as The Curse of Arposandra that guarantees a brand new space together with “new fight and skilling content material,” and as you would possibly assume, which means we’ll be heading to the hidden gnome metropolis of lore. As if we wanted extra affirmation of that, Jagex guarantees a brand new solo boss struggle towards Glouphrie, the founding father of stated metropolis, together with one other neighborhood skilling boss (one the place non-combat abilities are a foremost element of the encounter) involving legendary spirit tree Argento.

Final on the listing is Secrets and techniques of Karamja, and little is being revealed about this for now, though we’re instructed it’s going to function a brand new raid, Temple of Ah Za Rhoon. “We all know gamers have been asking for it [Karamja] for a really very long time,” Philpott remarks. Alongside all of which might be extra steps alongside Jagex’s ‘Highway to Restoration,’ reminiscent of a unified assortment log, a rework of the search timeline and grouping system, improved clan finder, contemporary content material creator instruments, and the return of the studio’s quality-of-life squad, Ninja Group.

“The entire 12 months of 2027 is actually about giving gamers extra of what they need and extra of what they’ve liked for therefore lengthy, whereas ensuring there’s something for everybody,” Philpott concludes. “It does not matter whether or not you might be new to the sport, or whether or not you are an lively participant who’s been right here for a very long time, there’s primarily one thing for everybody all the way in which alongside the 12 months.” He hopes this could get Runescape “again to the place we all the time knew it ought to have been after the 12 months of restoration,” and guarantees to make sure “that we do not make those self same errors once more.”

Runescape Reignited will launch on Tuesday December 2, 2026, and you’ll play the complete factor totally free, on common members’ worlds, from day one by way of Saturday December 12 with out the necessity for a membership. Past that, it looks like the sky is the restrict – and there is a lot extra to be discovered on the OSRS roadmap from Runefest 2026 as effectively, if that is extra your velocity.