RuneScape Reignited: Jagex's Bold Relaunch Plan

What if you could wipe the slate clean in an MMO you've poured years into? That's exactly what Jagex is offering with RuneScape Reignited, a set of unique servers where all progress—accounts, hi-scores, and even the player-driven economy—gets reset to entice new and returning players into Gielinor. Announced at RuneFest 2026 by creative director Ryan Philpott, who's been playing since he was 10, this is the next step in RuneScape's comeback tour after axing unpopular microtransactions earlier this year.

"RuneScape is so back," Philpott told us at the event. He calls Reignited an "opportunity to relaunch RuneScape" and says it's been a privilege to steer the game back in the direction it should have always been. The move follows years of efforts to win players back, including the divisive Fresh Start Worlds in 2022, but Reignited is the first attempt since gutting microtransactions and toning down the daily grind dubbed 'DailyScape.'

Not everyone's thrilled, though. Some ongoing RuneScape players fear the new servers will fragment the community, and others are miffed that a separate membership is required to play. That's a point our writer disagrees with. But if you've long since traded RS3 for Old School RuneScape like they have, the idea of starting fresh with everyone else is pretty tempting.

To sweeten the deal, Jagex is giving all players access to RuneScape Reignited's premium membership for 10 days at launch on December 2, letting you explore the full game. Philpott says the studio has full backing on this: "We believe—going as far as to say we know—this is the right time to relaunch RuneScape in this way." He adds that they want to remove barriers to entry as much as possible.

So why does Philpott think people will stick around? "Because honestly, RuneScape is so bloody amazing now," he says, pointing to a year of work and big plans ahead. Future updates include a conclusion to the Gnome storyline fans have waited 15 years for, a new raid, an Agility rework, and the newly announced Dragon Slayer 2. There's no better time to play, he insists, with 100% confidence.

For those who've felt overwhelmed or noticed RuneScape getting quieter than OSRS, starting from scratch could be just the reset you need. But Jagex still has to mend the rift with existing RS3 players, many of whom remain unconvinced on the subreddit. Philpott's goal for next year is to put RuneScape "firmly on the map as one of the MMOs you should be playing," even with a new Final Fantasy 14 expansion and World of Warcraft: Forever on the horizon. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," he says.

Will you be diving into RuneScape Reignited on December 2? Let us know in the comments!