RuneScape 4 announced at RuneFest, full MMO sequel started as expansion to survival game Dragonwilds

As reported by MMORPG.com, developer Jagex has announced a new MMO follow-up to RuneScape with the working title “RuneScape 4.” The announcement came as part of Jagex’s yearly RuneFest convention being held this weekend.

The announcement was accompanied by a brief teaser trailer showcasing the game’s art style, which builds on the recently-released Dragonwilds survival game: It’s like a hybrid of the latest Jagex MMO, Runescape 3, and the ascendant Old School RuneScape based on the series’ 2000s heyday.

In the trailer, we see a real Dragon Quest-looking medieval town in a verdant valley under floating islands. An adventurer riding a dragon comes under attack by a three-headed dragon while a wizard watches from below. The trailer ends with the wizard welcoming a new adventurer to the city.

MMORPG.com has more details: RuneScape 4 apparently emerged out of a planned expansion for Dragonwilds. A Jagex developer said that playtesters kept asking for a more traditional, MMO take on the survival game’s setting and aesthetic. Other than that, we know RuneScape 4 is being built on Unreal Engine (unclear if we’re talking version 5 or the upcoming 6), and that the MMO’s original, Dragonwilds expansion version was targeting release in 2027. Scaling up to being a full, new game has almost assuredly pushed that back.

If you’re wondering where the “4” comes from, here’s how Jagex maps RuneScape’s numbered releases:

• RuneScape, 2001: The Reason for the Season.
• RuneScape 2, 2004: Introduced full 3D rendering. Old School is based on RS2 circa 2007.
• RuneScape 3, 2013: Overhauled the art and systems, the current main fork of the game.

While Old School simply will continue⁠—the retro version of the MMO is by far Jagex’s most successful game⁠—I wonder if the studio will preserve RuneScape 3 in any way with the version shift, or if RuneScape 4 will seamlessly continue character progression (like 3 did for 2). Stay tuned for more coverage from this year’s RuneFest from PCG features producer Mollie Taylor, who is on the ground at the event.