Jagex has officially announced a fourth massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the RuneScape series, revealing the project during this weekend’s RuneFest convention in Birmingham, England. The developer confirmed that the new title, currently operating under the working name RS4, is still in early development and sits at least a few years away from release, with no official name settled upon as of yet.
The announcement arrived alongside news of an upcoming RuneScape animated adaptation developed in partnership with prominent YouTuber Charlie “MoistCr1TiKaL” White. Together, the reveals mark one of the most significant expansions of the 25-year-old franchise since Jagex consolidated its live services under a single banner.
A New Engine for an Old World
According to the studio’s official description, the new game will “bring the world of Gielinor to life in Unreal Engine,” combining what Jagex describes as the depth, freedom, and community-led spirit that have defined RuneScape across a quarter century with the technology and design possibilities available today. The decision to build on Unreal Engine represents a notable technical departure from the studio’s proprietary rendering approach used by its existing titles.
The new MMO is still in early development stages. Jagex confirmed it has not yet settled on an official name, leaving open whether the title will carry a numbered designation given RuneScape’s history. The game was rebranded RuneScape 2 in 2004 and RuneScape 3 in 2013 before Jagex abandoned numbering altogether, folding its offerings back into a single live service that now includes Old School RuneScape and the spin-off RuneScape: Dragonwilds.
“We’ll be designing RS4 to sit alongside them as an additional way to experience RuneScape and the world of Gielinor. The ambition isn’t to replace the RuneScape games you love. It’s to make the RuneScape universe bigger.”
Jagex
Why Announce So Far in Advance?
In a blog post, Jagex explained its reasoning for unveiling RS4 so far ahead of launch. The studio revealed that engine and tooling work completed on Dragonwilds gave the team a foundation to build upon, while allowing it to extend the same collaborative, community-driven development approach used across RuneScape and Old School RuneScape.
Jagex emphasized that none of this comes at the expense of its existing games. Each current title retains its own dedicated team and ongoing investment, with RS4 designed to coexist rather than supersede them. The studio has not committed to calling the new game RuneScape 4 or any numbered variant.
The new MMO will be set within Gielinor’s Sixth Age, beginning in Ashenfall, a region first introduced in RuneScape: Dragonwilds and located to the north-east of the main map. According to Jagex, RS4 picks up years after Dragonwilds’ story and the defeat of the Dragon Queen Kuldra, though the studio noted that Ashenfall represents “only the beginning,” with plans to expand far beyond it over time into both familiar and new areas of Gielinor.
The Animated Adaptation
Alongside the game reveal, Jagex confirmed an animated RuneScape adaptation currently in development. The project is being produced alongside Charlie White (MoistCr1TiKaL) and Los Angeles-based production company Lyrical Media, with aims to bring “the world, characters and stories of Gielinor to life.” According to the studio, the adaptation expects to draw from 25 years of franchise history and more than 300 million player accounts created since RuneScape first launched.
The announcement arrives shortly after a clone of Old School RuneScape briefly appeared on the internet this week, before it was quickly shut down, stoking the ire of the RuneScape community. The incident underscored both the enduring popularity of the franchise and the vigilance of its player base regarding unauthorized imitations.
Looking Ahead
Jagex has not provided a specific release window for RS4 beyond confirming it remains several years away from launch, with an official name still to be announced. The studio’s emphasis on community-driven development suggests further updates and involvement from players as the project progresses through its early stages.
As RuneScape enters its 26th year, these dual announcements signal a broadening of the franchise beyond its established live services. Whether RS4 ultimately earns a numbered title or adopts an entirely new identity remains to be seen, but Jagex has made clear that its intent is to grow the world of Gielinor rather than replace what players already love.
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