Jagex has confirmed that a fourth RuneScape MMO is now in development under the working title RS4. The studio revealed the project during RuneFest 2026, describing it as a new Unreal Engine MMORPG set in the Gielinor universe that remains in early production with no launch window or confirmed platforms.
Quick Facts: Jagex confirms RuneScape 4 at RuneFest 2026
Announcement: RuneFest 2026
Working title: RS4
Engine: Unreal Engine
Setting: Ashenfall, years after RuneScape Dragonwilds
Status: Early development with a dedicated team
Current games: RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape and Dragonwilds keep live support
CGI teaser shows valleys, floating islands and dragon combat
The reveal came with a CGI teaser trailer that shows a town in a green valley, floating islands in the sky, and a dragon rider under attack from a three headed dragon, according to coverage of the RuneScape 4 announcement. Jagex stressed that the footage is a tone piece rather than gameplay, which fits a project the studio says is still a few years away. The company has not said which version of Unreal Engine powers the game.
The new entry is the first numbered mainline follow up since RuneScape 3 launched in 2013. That thirteen year gap explains why the RuneFest crowd treated the teaser as the headline moment of the show, even with so little concrete detail attached. Jagex framed RS4 as a next generation take on the 25 year old property, built with current technology and current design ideas rather than an upgrade of the existing Java era codebase.
From Dragonwilds expansion to standalone MMO
RS4 did not begin as its own game. It started as an expansion for RuneScape Dragonwilds, the Unreal survival spinoff, reportedly planned for 2027. Jagex said playtesters asked for a more traditional MMO built in that setting, and the team agreed the idea deserved to grow into a standalone title instead of a content drop for another game.
The story picks up years after Dragonwilds and starts in the same region of Ashenfall. Players who missed the spinoff can catch up through our report on the RuneScape Dragonwilds launch for PS5 for background on the setting RS4 grows out of. A dedicated internal team now owns RS4, which matters because Jagex confirmed that existing titles keep full live service support. RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape and Dragonwilds will all continue to receive updates alongside the new entry, so fans of the current games are not being asked to migrate to something unreleased.
That continuity promise carries weight given how much Jagex packed into the rest of RuneFest. The Dragonwilds roadmap includes the Luminance update this December as a prelude to the Blood Crystal Saga kicking off in early 2027, plus official modding through a CurseForge partnership. Old School RuneScape gets the Fractured Archive raid on October 20 and Hardcore Worlds on November 4. RuneScape 3 gets the Reignited refresh on December 2 with a fresh economy and new hi scores. RS4 sits above all of that as the long term bet.
What Jagex has not said yet
The list of unknowns is long. Jagex has not confirmed platforms, and the studio said openly that it is not ready to talk about them. There is no word on monetization, which fans will watch closely given the history of microtransactions across the franchise. There is also no word on whether any progress or cosmetics carry over from RuneScape 3, a question that will shape how veterans feel about starting over in Ashenfall.
Gameplay mechanics are equally undefined. The teaser shows dragon based aerial combat, but CGI trailers for early stage MMO projects rarely map to final systems, and Jagex has promised real gameplay reveals only as production advances over the coming years. Combat style, skill systems, quest structure, server design and business model all remain open. The emphasis on dragons should feel familiar to fans of the Dragonwilds dragon survival adventure, but readers should treat every detail beyond the setting, engine and early status as unconfirmed until Jagex states it directly.
The cautious messaging looks deliberate. Announcing early lets Jagex recruit, reassure the community that the franchise has a future, and gather feedback while systems are still flexible. It also sets expectations at years rather than months, which the studio repeated on stage. For a company running three live games at once, that honesty about the timeline helps avoid the crunch narrative that has hurt other MMO reveals.
Everything else at RuneFest 2026
RS4 closed the show, but it was not the only news. Jagex announced a RuneScape animated adaptation in partnership with Charlie White, known as MoistCr1TiKaL, and production company Lyrical Media, with no release date attached. RuneScape Reignited launches December 2 with free access through December 12, a remastered journey, an adventure guide, a fresh economy and brand new hi scores. The long awaited Plugin API arrives this month with early hands on access before full release.
RuneScape 3 also received what Jagex called the biggest roadmap in the history of the game, with 2027 content spread across three story arcs tied to long running plotlines. Hoard of Dragons arrives in January as a sequel to the classic Dragon Slayer quest, City of Gnomes continues the gnome storyline, and Secrets of Karamja adds a new endgame raid. An Agility skill rework, new skilling and solo bosses, area expansions and a new Grandmaster Quest round out the plan.
Taken together, the show painted a picture of a studio investing on two tracks at once. The live games get their densest roadmaps in years while a separate team builds the next generation entry in Unreal. Whether RS4 can honor two decades of player history while meeting modern MMO expectations will take years to judge, but the starting position is now public. Gielinor is getting a fourth home, and Ashenfall is where it begins.
Is RuneScape 4 officially confirmed
Yes. Jagex confirmed at RuneFest 2026 that a fourth RuneScape MMO is in development. The studio uses the working title RS4 and has not officially locked the RuneScape 4 name.
What engine does RuneScape 4 use
RS4 is built on Unreal Engine. Jagex has not specified which version of the engine, and the reveal trailer was CGI rather than real gameplay footage.
When does RuneScape 4 launch and on which platforms
Jagex has given no launch window and no confirmed platforms. The studio describes the game as being in early development and still a few years away.
Will RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape keep running
Yes. Jagex confirmed that RuneScape 3, Old School RuneScape and RuneScape Dragonwilds will all continue active live service support alongside RS4 development.
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