Jagex Reveals New Unreal Engine RuneScape MMO and Animated Series

Jagex used RuneFest 2026 to deliver one of the biggest franchise announcements in RuneScape history, confirming that a fourth RuneScape MMO is now in development while also expanding Gielinor beyond games with a new animated series. The upcoming MMO is still early in development, but Jagex says it will bring the world of RuneScape to life in Unreal Engine, combining the franchise’s long running sense of freedom, community and progression with modern game design tools.

The announcement came during the largest RuneFest to date, with more than 6,000 fans attending the event at the NEC in Birmingham. According to Jagex, the new title is currently unnamed and built for a new generation of players, but it is not being positioned as a replacement for RuneScape, Old School RuneScape or RuneScape Dragonwilds. Instead, it appears to be part of a broader ecosystem strategy that lets each RuneScape experience serve a different type of player.

The move to Unreal Engine is the most important technical detail. RuneScape has always been defined more by systems, persistence and player freedom than visual technology, but a new MMO gives Jagex a rare opportunity to rebuild Gielinor with modern rendering, animation, world design and multiplayer infrastructure. This makes the project more than a simple sequel. It is a chance to reinterpret a 25 year old MMO universe for players who expect richer worlds, smoother onboarding and stronger cross platform possibilities.

Jagex also announced that work has started on a new RuneScape animated series in partnership with Charlie White, better known as MoistCr1TiKaL, and Lyrical Animation. The project is still in its early stages, with more details planned for 2027, but it marks a major step in Jagex’s effort to bring Gielinor to new audiences outside the gaming ecosystem.

That wider ambition matters because RuneScape is no longer only a legacy MMO brand. Jagex says the franchise has reached more than 300 million player accounts and generated more than $3 billion in lifetime revenue across RuneScape and Old School RuneScape. With Dragonwilds already pushing the universe into survival crafting, an animated adaptation could give the franchise a stronger cultural footprint beyond its core player base.

Jagex also used RuneFest to reassure existing players that the current lineup is not being left behind. RuneScape Reignited launches on December 2 as a cleaner entry point with a fresh economy and updated progression experience. Old School RuneScape continues toward long requested 2027 content such as Menaphos, while RuneScape Dragonwilds is moving deeper into its Blood Crystal Saga and future roadmap. The details matter to active players, but the larger message is clear: Jagex is expanding RuneScape without abandoning the live games that built the community.

Together, the announcements show Jagex operating RuneScape as a multi format franchise: a modern RuneScape refresh, a community driven Old School roadmap, a survival crafting spin off, a new Unreal Engine MMO and an animated adaptation. For a franchise that began in 2001, that is a major repositioning.

Jagex is trying to solve the biggest challenge facing long running MMOs: how to grow without erasing the identity that kept the core community alive. A new Unreal Engine RuneScape MMO gives the studio space to modernize Gielinor without forcing every existing player into a replacement product. At the same time, Reignited, Old School updates and Dragonwilds show that Jagex knows the current audience cannot be treated as an afterthought.

The animated series could also be a smart move if handled carefully. RuneScape has decades of quests, gods, cities, jokes, monsters and player memories, but much of that identity has remained inside the MMO community. A strong animated adaptation could translate the tone of Gielinor for people who have never mined copper, burned shrimp or lost their gear in the Wilderness. The risk is dilution. The opportunity is massive.

Are you more excited for the new Unreal Engine RuneScape MMO, RuneScape Reignited, Old School Menaphos or the animated series?