Jagex has canceled RuneScape Reignited, a new character type it revealed at RuneFest 2026 alongside RuneScape 4, less than two weeks after the announcement. Reignited characters were set to arrive on December 2 with their own economy, Grand Exchange, and hiscores, plus access to Reignited-only worlds. They would also need a separate membership and couldn't trade or share boss instances with existing "Veteran" characters. Players were quick to point out that this could fracture an already small player base. Jagex apologized on October 6, and three days later floated a list of changes, such as letting players "Reignite" an existing character under their current membership.

Apparently, that wasn't enough. In an update posted on October 15, Mod Ryan said the studio "missed the mark" and won't move forward with Reignited. He also brought up the last time Jagex ignored player feedback on combat, which seems to be a nod to the 2012 Evolution of Combat update that, in his words, took the game over a decade to recover from. The rest of the December 2 update still goes ahead, including the Adventure Guide and the first part of the Remastered Journey. Earlier this month, Jagex said RuneScape still has hundreds of thousands of members but has been on a slight decline for a long time, so it's reasonable to expect another attempt at bringing new players in down the line.

Jagex has announced a fourth RuneScape MMO at RuneFest 2026. It currently goes by the working title RS4, though most people are already calling it RuneScape 4. The game is being built in Unreal Engine, and Jagex hasn't said which version. It's the first numbered follow-up since RuneScape 3 arrived in 2013. A CGI teaser shown at the event has a town in a green valley, floating islands, and a dragon rider being attacked by a three-headed dragon. Jagex says RS4 is in early development with its own dedicated team, and that it is still "a few years away." The studio also isn't ready to talk about platforms.

Interestingly, RS4 didn't start out as a full game. It began as an expansion for RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Jagex's Unreal Engine 5 survival game, and apparently grew into its own project after playtesters asked for a more traditional MMO take on that setting. The expansion was reportedly planned for 2027. The story is said to pick up years after Dragonwilds and starts in the same region, Ashenfall. RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape, and Dragonwilds will all keep running alongside it. Of course, we don't know yet how monetization will work or whether any progress carries over from RuneScape 3, and I think it'll be a while before we see real gameplay.

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Wield wild, transformative magic to survive and level up skills to overcome challenges in this brand-new adventure powered by Unreal Engine 5. Explore a stunning, hand-crafted landscape infused with magical energy in an adventure that blends high fantasy with light RPG elements and iconic RuneScape lore. Harness the power of Anima to reshape your experience. Summon spectral axes to fell trees in an instant or channel nature's energy to repair broken armour. Discover RuneScape: Dragonwilds unique progression system to unlock new spells, crafting recipes and abilities, providing adventurers countless ways to interact with the world around them.