Jagex has unveiled a fourth major MMO entry in the RuneScape franchise, currently operating under the working title RS4. The announcement came at RuneFest in Birmingham, where the developer also revealed plans for an animated adaptation of the series.
RS4 will leverage Unreal Engine to recreate the world of Gielinor, blending the franchise's signature depth, player freedom, and community-focused design with modern technology and game design approaches. The project remains in early development, with Jagex indicating it will take at least several years before launch. The studio has not yet finalized an official name for the game, leaving open the possibility of numbered branding or an alternative title.
Jagex explained its decision to announce RS4 so far in advance by pointing to technical groundwork developed during the creation of RuneScape: Dragonwilds, which provided a foundation for the new project. The developer also emphasized its commitment to the collaborative, community-driven approach that has shaped RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, and wanted to extend that philosophy to RS4's development from an early stage.
The company stressed that RS4 will not cannibalize its existing titles. Each current RuneScape game—including the original RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape, and Dragonwilds—will maintain its own dedicated team and continued investment. RS4 is designed to exist alongside these games as an additional way to experience Gielinor, expanding the RuneScape universe rather than replacing what players already enjoy.
The new MMO will be set during Gielinor's Sixth Age and begin in Ashenfall, a region introduced in Dragonwilds located northeast of the main map. The story picks up years after the events of Dragonwilds and the defeat of the Dragon Queen Kuldra. Jagex described Ashenfall as merely the starting point, with plans to expand the game world significantly over time to include both established and entirely new areas of Gielinor.
Animated Series in Development
Alongside the game announcement, Jagex revealed it is developing a RuneScape animated series in partnership with content creator Charlie White, known online as MoistCr1TiKaL. The project is being produced by Los Angeles-based Lyrical Media and aims to bring the world, characters, and stories of Gielinor to audiences. The series will draw inspiration from the franchise's 25-year history and the over 300 million player accounts created since RuneScape's original launch.
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