Why this matters: after 13 years without a new mainline entry, Jagex is betting the RuneScape franchise's future on Unreal Engine — and on bringing players into development years before launch.
October 4, 2026 — Jagex has announced a brand-new RuneScape massively multiplayer online game, currently working-titled "RuneScape 4" (RS4), during RuneFest 2026 in Birmingham. It is the first new mainline RuneScape MMO since RuneScape 3 in 2013 — and the first built on Unreal Engine 5 rather than Jagex's own engine.
Image: A dragon-rider charging across a volcanic Ashenfall landscape toward a looming three-headed dragon, Unreal Engine-style cinematic fantasy in gold and ember tones. Credit: Red Eye Eagle News / original AI illustration.
Editor's Highlight: The most striking thing about RS4 is not the engine switch — it is the origin story. A planned RuneScape: Dragonwilds expansion grew so ambitious that Jagex scrapped the expansion plan and rebuilt it as a full MMO, with the studio telling players this is what the community's playtest feedback was asking for.
Table of Contents
- What RuneScape 4 actually is
- From expansion to standalone game
- Setting: the Sixth Age and Ashenfall
- Not a replacement for anything
- The animated series
- RuneScape Reignited goes live December 2
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Announcement | RuneFest 2026, Birmingham |
| Working title | RuneScape 4 (RS4) — not final |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Setting | Gielinor, Sixth Age, Ashenfall |
| Release window | Years away — TBA |
| Existing games | All continue separately |
| Sign-up | Register interest now |
What RuneScape 4 actually is
Jagex calls the project its "fourth generation" of RuneScape, with RS4 as a working title the studio says may not be the name at launch. So far, only a short CGI concept teaser has been shown — a dragon rider facing off against a three-headed dragon — with no captured gameplay footage.
The art direction reportedly blends the modernized look of RuneScape 3 with the nostalgic readability of Old School RuneScape, according to This Week in Videogames — a deliberate attempt to bridge two player bases that have spent years apart.
Newsroom Focus: Jagex says the game is "still a few years away." There is no release date, no confirmed platforms, and — as of now — no details on accounts, membership, combat, or skills. This is an early reveal, not a launch window.
From expansion to standalone game
RS4 began life as "Shadows of Ashenfall," an ambitious expansion on the post-launch roadmap for RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Dragonwilds executive producer Jesse America said the project "pointed at a completely different scope" and "deserved its own game — to stand alone as Jagex's fourth new pillar."
Coverage of the announcement notes that playtesters of the expansion concept kept asking for traditional MMO features — persistent servers, high player counts, player-to-player trading — which pushed the studio to expand the concept into a full game.
Practical Takeaway: Because RS4 grew out of Dragonwilds' Unreal Engine foundation, it inherits that engine's tooling and visual direction — explaining the teaser's art and its blend of RS3 and Old School.
Setting: the Sixth Age and Ashenfall
The new MMO is set in Gielinor during the Sixth Age, beginning in Ashenfall — the northeastern landmass first explored in Dragonwilds. The story picks up years after Dragonwilds and the fall of the Dragon Queen Kuldra.
Jagex says Ashenfall is only the starting point. The plan is for the adventure to grow beyond it over time, "moving into places you know and love, as well as opening up new places and stories across Gielinor," according to the studio.
The design principles Jagex has named so far are "integrity and permanent progression" — aimed squarely at players wary of seasonal resets. Analysis Note: the studio is announcing years early to involve players in development from the start: "sharing ideas, testing things, listening and learning as we go."
Not a replacement for anything
Jagex has stressed that RS4 is an addition, not a replacement. It will sit alongside RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds, each keeping its own dedicated team, roadmap, and continued investment.
America said the "entire studio" will work on RS4, with teams drawn across Dragonwilds, RuneScape, and Old School RuneScape. FullCleared reports each existing title maintains its own live roadmap.
| Jagex's fourth pillar lineup | Status |
|---|---|
| RuneScape 3 | Live — continues |
| Old School RuneScape | Live — continues |
| RuneScape: Dragonwilds | Live — continues |
| RuneScape 4 (working title) | In development — years away |
The animated series
RuneFest also confirmed a RuneScape animated series in production, developed with Lyrical Animation and content creator Charlie 'MoistCr1tikal' White, who is consulting on the project.
Details beyond that are thin, but the move mirrors a familiar trend: game franchises pairing new releases with adaptations to widen their audience.
RuneScape Reignited goes live December 2
The weekend's third major reveal was RuneScape Reignited — a relaunch of the main game with remastered and reworked elements, going live on December 2, 2026.
| RuneFest 2026 reveals | Detail |
|---|---|
| RuneScape 4 | New UE5 MMO — years away |
| RuneScape Reignited | Relaunch — Dec 2, 2026 |
| Animated series | In production |
Newsroom Focus: For players waiting today rather than years from now, Reignited is the immediate story. RS4 is the long game.
Bottom Line
Jagex has laid out its next half-decade: a new Unreal Engine 5 MMO years from launch, a December relaunch for the main game, and an animated series in production. What to watch next is how the studio involves players in RS4's development — it says more detail is coming next year, including how players can start getting involved, and players can register their interest now.
FAQ
Is "RuneScape 4" the final name?
No — RS4 is a working title. Jagex says it may not be the name the game launches with, but it reflects the project being the studio's fourth generation of RuneScape.
When will RuneScape 4 release?
No date has been given. Jagex says the game is "still a few years away," with more information promised next year.
What platforms will it launch on?
Too early to say — Jagex has confirmed no platforms, accounts, membership, combat, or skills details yet.
Will RS4 replace RuneScape 3 or Old School RuneScape?
No. Jagex has stressed that RS4 is not a replacement for any of its existing games. Each will keep its own team, roadmap, and continued investment.
What was "Shadows of Ashenfall"?
It was the original concept: an ambitious expansion for RuneScape: Dragonwilds from its post-launch roadmap. Its scope grew so large that Jagex spun it into its own standalone MMO.
Sources
- This Week in Videogames — Jagex announces new RuneScape MMO built in Unreal Engine: RuneFest reveal details, UE5, RS4 working title, Ashenfall origin, Jesse America quotes, animated series, RuneScape Reignited.
- FullCleared — Jagex reveals RS4, a new RuneScape MMO in Unreal Engine: fourth-generation project, years-away timeline, Sixth Age setting, design principles.
- MMOHuts — Jagex reveals RS4, a new RuneScape MMO built in Unreal Engine: corroborating coverage of the reveal.
- YouTube — RuneScape: Official 4th MMO Teaser Trailer | Runefest 2026: the CGI concept teaser shown at RuneFest 2026.
- Original AI illustration — hero image generated for Red Eye Eagle News.
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