RuneScape 4 is the working name for a new standalone RuneScape MMORPG that Jagex revealed at RuneFest 2026. The project is being built in Unreal Engine, is set in Gielinor during the Sixth Age and begins in Ashenfall, but Jagex says it is still a few years away from release.
The most important thing to understand about RuneScape 4 is that “RS4” is a working title rather than a confirmed final name. Jagex calls it its fourth-generation RuneScape project, but explicitly says the studio may ultimately settle on a different title.
What is RuneScape 4?
Jagex describes the project as an entirely new RuneScape MMORPG rather than an update that turns the current RuneScape into a new client. RuneScape 4 will be an independent experience designed to sit alongside RuneScape, Old School RuneScape and RuneScape: Dragonwilds.
That standalone status answers one of the biggest reveal-day questions. Existing games are keeping their own teams, roadmaps and investment. Jagex says the ambition is to make the RuneScape family larger, not move everybody into one replacement MMO.
RuneScape 4 is being built in Unreal Engine
RuneScape 4 uses Unreal Engine. Jagex says it wants to build on technology work learned through Dragonwilds while combining that with the community co-development approach used across RuneScape and Old School RuneScape.
The engine choice does not tell us the final combat style, camera, interface or hardware requirements. Those details are still unannounced. Unreal Engine is currently a technology confirmation, not proof that the new MMO will play like Dragonwilds.
Where does RuneScape 4 take place?
The game remains in Gielinor and begins in Ashenfall, the continent introduced through RuneScape: Dragonwilds. RuneScape 4 takes place years after the events of Dragonwilds and the destruction of Dragon Queen Kuldra, so this is not simply the same Ashenfall map reused at the same point in time.
Jagex says Ashenfall is only the beginning. The long-term ambition is to expand into familiar locations and entirely new areas across Gielinor, giving the project room to reconnect with places RuneScape players already know.
Will RuneScape 4 replace RuneScape or OSRS?
No. Jagex is unusually direct on this point: RuneScape 4 is not replacing RuneScape, Old School RuneScape or Dragonwilds. Each game continues with its own dedicated team and roadmap.
That also means players should not assume current RuneScape accounts, characters, banks or subscriptions automatically transfer. Jagex has not announced how accounts, membership or progression will work in the new game.
RuneScape 4 release date
There is no release date or release year. Jagex says the project is “still a few years away” and plans to share substantially more next year, including how players can start getting involved in development.
Any exact 2027, 2028 or later date attached to RuneScape 4 right now is speculation. The reveal is deliberately early because Jagex wants community feedback to shape the project before the normal late-stage marketing cycle.
RuneScape 4 platforms
Platforms are not announced. Jagex specifically lists platforms among the questions it is not ready to answer. PC is an obvious question for a RuneScape MMO, while PS5 and Xbox interest is stronger now that Dragonwilds has expanded the franchise on consoles, but none of those platforms should be labelled confirmed for the new RuneScape MMO yet.
The same caution applies to mobile. RuneScape and Old School RuneScape support mobile play, but that does not automatically mean the new Unreal Engine MMO will launch on phones or tablets.
What systems are still unknown?
Jagex has not detailed combat, skills, membership, accounts, progression migration or monetisation. It has said integrity, permanent progression and community-driven development are central design principles, which gives us the philosophy without pretending the actual systems are finished.
The new RuneScape MMO is therefore a genuine announced project with a clear setting and development direction, but it is not at the stage where a full feature checklist exists. The next major information wave is expected in 2027 as Jagex starts involving players more directly.
As development continues, the new RuneScape MMO should be checked against Jagex’s latest reveal rather than assumptions based on the current games. Accounts, systems and launch details remain early enough to change before players can access the new MMO.
Related Guides
Official source
Jagex has the current reveal details on the official RS4 project page.
