Jagex is building a new RuneScape MMORPG in Unreal Engine, under the working title RS4. It was revealed at RuneFest in Birmingham on 3 October 2026. For OSRS and RS3 players, the useful point is simple: this is a separate game that is years out, and Jagex has not said whether existing accounts will connect to it.
Is there a RuneScape 4 release date?
No exact date or year has been given. Jagex calls the game "still a few years away" and says it will share much more next year, meaning 2027. That is a promise of information, not of a launch.
A 2027 date may still turn up in coverage, for a different reason. MMORPG.com reports, from a Jagex press briefing, that RS4 began as a Dragonwilds expansion planned for 2027. Jagex developer Jesse America told press the expansion was the "result of player feedback". MMORPG.com says players wanted more RuneScape staples in Dragonwilds, such as persistent servers, higher player counts, social features and a trade hub. The team decided the scope deserved its own MMO. The 2027 target belonged to that expansion, not to RS4.
What is confirmed
| Topic | Status |
|---|---|
| Name | "RS4" is a working title and may change |
| Setting | Gielinor in the Sixth Age, starting in Ashenfall, years after the events of Dragonwilds |
| OSRS, RS3, Dragonwilds | Not replaced. Each keeps its own team and roadmap |
| Platforms, membership, accounts, combat | Not announced |
What OSRS and RS3 players should take from it
- The 4 is not a sign that RS3 is ending. It refers to Jagex's fourth generation of RuneScape projects. RS3 keeps running alongside it.
- Carry-over is unknown. Nothing announced says your gold, items or levels move to RS4, and nothing says they don't. Treat any claim either way as a guess until Jagex answers it.
- Dragonwilds is the closest relative. The two games share a landmass, and Jagex wants to build on the technology it developed for Dragonwilds. If you want a feel for where RS4 starts, that is the game to look at.
What else Jagex announced at RuneFest
In an official post on Reddit, Jagex said RS4 has its own team, and that its focus, commitment and resources for RuneScape and Old School do not change.
Dragonwilds keeps its own roadmap. Jagex's Dragonwilds team announced the Song of Rebellion chapter, Secure Servers, Leaderboards, and official modding tools with an in-game mod browser on all platforms, all aimed at the first half of 2027. These are Dragonwilds features. None of them is confirmed for RS4.
RuneScape Reignited is a different thing. MMORPG.com reports that Reignited, launching 2 December 2026, is a relaunch of RuneScape 3 with a fresh start, a new economy and new high scores. It is not RS4.
Why Jagex is doing this
The Game Business reported in July 2026 that Jagex now works only on RuneScape, with no other game series and no third-party publishing. In that interview, CEO Jon Bellamy said he has no intention of going beyond RuneScape. The headline sums up his aim as being bigger than World of Warcraft. That is an ambition, not a measured ranking.
Our reading: a studio that now does only RuneScape has three RuneScape games live and a fourth in development. Reignited targets new and returning RS3 players, Dragonwilds is building out Ashenfall, and RS4 is the long-term bet on that same region. If that plan holds, Jagex has strong reasons to keep OSRS and RS3 well supported while RS4 is built.
Can you sign up for an RS4 beta?
No beta has been announced. The form on Jagex's RS4 page takes an email address to register interest. Anything sold as an RS4 beta key is not from Jagex. Do not pay for it.
Sources
- Jagex: RS4 announcement page, the source of the official facts, the teaser and the image
- Jagex (JagexAnvil) on Reddit: what RS4 means for RuneScape and Old School
- Jagex: RuneScape Dragonwilds Summit, for the Dragonwilds 2027 roadmap
- MMORPG.com: RuneScape Reignited report
- The Game Business: interview with Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy (21 July 2026)
- MMORPG.com: RuneFest press briefing report, for the Dragonwilds expansion origin and the announcement date
- VGC: Jagex has officially announced RuneScape 4, for RuneFest in Birmingham
- Gematsu: RS4 announced, which titles the teaser a concept trailer
- RuneScape Wiki: RuneScape 4, which says the teaser is not gameplay footage
Cover image: an AI-generated editorial illustration by Probemas, not official game art or footage.