Jagex has canceled RuneScape: Reignited, a planned game mode for the long-running MMORPG, less than two weeks after its announcement at RuneFest. The decision comes in response to significant player feedback, which Jagex cited as a critical factor in preventing past mistakes.
Announced as a way to attract new players and address issues with the game's economy, RuneScape: Reignited was intended to feature separate player economies and fresh character progression distinct from existing RuneScape accounts. Players would not have been able to trade items or tackle bosses with players on standard accounts. This separation, however, was a major point of contention.
According to Jagex, the primary concerns from the community revolved around splitting the player base. Long-time players feared that a separate "Reignited" version would siphon new players away from the main game, potentially leading to a decline in the existing player count. Furthermore, there was no option for veteran players to migrate their existing progress to the new mode, meaning they would have to abandon years of advancement and investment to participate.
Jagex acknowledged that the current in-game economy of RuneScape suffers from hyper-inflation, making it a daunting prospect for new players to start and progress to the endgame. For example, a month of membership, known as a Bond, sells for approximately 11.2 million coins on Old School RuneScape and 141.3 million coins on the main RuneScape game. Reignited was seen as a potential solution to this barrier to entry.
While Reignited's cancellation leaves the economic hurdle in place, Jagex has other updates planned. The studio also announced a forthcoming Adventure Guide update for December, which will include a free trial for RuneScape. Additionally, RuneScape 4, a completely new MMO project, was revealed at RuneFest.