Jagex has revealed that a fourth mainline installment in the RuneScape series is in development. This new entry will be the first in the core franchise to utilize the Unreal Engine. The announcement was made at RuneFest this weekend, where Jagex also detailed plans for an animated adaptation of the RuneScape universe.
While the upcoming title is still several years away, Jagex offered a glimpse during its in-person festival. The studio aims to build upon the technical advancements learned from its spin-off title, Dragonwilds, which runs on Unreal Engine 5. The mainline RuneScape games have historically used Jagex's in-house RuneTek engine, indicating a significant graphical upgrade for the long-running MMO. It remains unclear whether the new game will use Unreal Engine 5 or the upcoming Unreal Engine 6.
Jagex emphasized that the new game will coexist with the current versions of RuneScape, including the highly popular Old School RuneScape. This approach mirrors the game's history of supporting multiple concurrent iterations with active developer and community engagement. The studio noted that integrity and permanent progression will remain central to the game's design principles.
In addition to the new game, Jagex is entering the cross-media space with an animated series. The cartoon will be produced by Lyrical, known for their work on titles such as How To Blow Up A Pipeline and the upcoming Bloodborne film. Popular streamer Charlie White, also known as MoistCr1tikal, has been brought on board for the project, a move Jagex stated was inspired by similar collaborations, such as the one for the Bloodborne anime.
The studio expressed a desire to share their development progress openly, stating that keeping the new game development "behind closed doors for much longer" did not align with their ethos. They aim to integrate community co-development principles, similar to those used for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, into the creation of this new title.