Jagex has announced RuneScape 4 at its annual RuneFest convention, confirming that a full MMO sequel to the long-running franchise is in development. The surprise reveal comes with an interesting origin story: the game started life as a planned expansion for RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Jagex's survival game set in the RuneScape universe.
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From survival expansion to full MMO sequel
The story of how RuneScape 4 came to exist is genuinely fascinating. Jagex developers have noted that playtesters of Dragonwilds kept pushing for a more traditional MMO experience built around that game's setting and art direction. The feedback was loud enough that what began as expansion content eventually evolved into something far bigger: a brand new mainline entry in one of gaming's most storied MMO franchises.
The teaser trailer shown at RuneFest gives a strong first impression of the visual direction. Think a medieval town nestled in a verdant valley beneath floating islands, a dragon-riding adventurer caught in a three-headed dragon ambush, and a wizard watching the chaos unfold from below before welcoming a new hero to the city. The art style reads as a hybrid of RuneScape 3's modern aesthetic and the beloved pixel-adjacent look of Old School RuneScape, with the grounded survival feel of Dragonwilds woven throughout.
How the numbered sequels stack up
For anyone who has dipped in and out of the franchise over the years, the "4" designation might need some context. Here's how Jagex has structured the series so far:
Old School RuneScape is not going anywhere. The retro branch of the game has grown into Jagex's most successful product, and there is no indication that RuneScape 4's development affects it in any way. The bigger open question is what happens to RuneScape 3: whether the new game will carry over character progression the way RS3 did for RS2, or whether it represents a clean break, remains to be seen.
What the Dragonwilds connection means for players
Here's the thing: the Dragonwilds origin actually tells you a lot about what RuneScape 4 might feel like. Dragonwilds brought the RuneScape universe into a survival-crafting format with a more grounded, tactile world than either of the main MMO branches. If you've been putting time into early-game skill progression in Dragonwilds or working through its combat systems, the DNA of that experience is apparently what convinced playtesters they wanted a full MMO in this world.
The original Dragonwilds expansion version of the project was targeting a 2027 release window. Scaling up to a full standalone MMO has almost certainly pushed that timeline back, though Jagex has not announced a new target date.
The road ahead for Jagex's MMO ambitions
RuneScape 4 represents a genuine bet on the franchise's future. Jagex is not just patching an existing game or releasing a seasonal update; this is a new engine, a new world built from survival-game playtester feedback, and a new numbered entry in a series that has been running for over two decades.
The key here is that Dragonwilds gave Jagex something most MMO developers do not get: a live testing ground for a new world with real player feedback before committing to the full MMO build. That is a meaningful advantage, and it explains why the project grew rather than got shelved.
For players already deep in the Dragonwilds experience, the RuneScape: Dragonwilds guide collection is worth bookmarking as Jagex continues to develop both games in parallel. More details on RuneScape 4 are expected to come out of RuneFest over the coming days.
