"RuneScape is so back," creative director Ryan Philpott tells me at RuneFest 2026. Having axed the MMORPG's unpopular microtransactions earlier this year, Philpott took the stage to reveal the next step in its comeback tour: RuneScape Reignited, unique servers where hi-scores, characters, and even the player-driven economy will be given a fresh start to entice new and returning players into Gielinor.
RuneScape Reignited has proven controversial for ongoing RuneScape players, with some fearing the servers will fragment the playerbase. Others have pointed out that a separate membership will be required to play – which I personally don't agree with. Jagex has since published a blog on RuneScape Reignited's future, acknowledging backlash and stating: "When you next hear from us, it will be a Reignited with that same level of care and devotion to you."
Having long since traded RS3 for its separate offshoot Old School RuneScape (OSRS), I'm tempted to start fresh with anyone in the same boat. Speaking to Philpott ahead of the announcement, the creative director tells me it's an "opportunity to relaunch RuneScape."
"When I was given the opportunity to lead the game towards that brighter future, I got to focus on removing those elements that I, as a player, didn't feel were right for the game," says Philpott, who has been playing RuneScape since the age of 10. "It's been a privilege of my career to be able to steer the game back in the direction we think the game should have always been in."
Halfway to 99
As part of RuneScape Reignited's launch on December 2, all players will have access to its premium membership for 10 days to explore the full game. The offer feels like Jagex putting its money where its mouth is – which Philpott had the studio's full backing on.
"We believe – going as far as to say we know – this is the right time to relaunch RuneScape in this way [and] show everyone how great a game RuneScape is again, after ripping out some of those egregious features," he says. "We want everyone to have an opportunity, no matter who you are, to come and experience it because we know you're going to love it. I would love to remove barriers to entry as much as possible."
RuneScape has made a number of efforts to win players back over the years, including 2022's divisive Fresh Start Worlds. RuneScape Reignited will be the first attempt made since gutting microtransactions and efforts to make daily content – dubbed 'DailyScape' – less overbearing. Still, what makes Philpott think people will stick around?
"Because honestly, RuneScape is so bloody amazing now [...] We've done so much over the last year, we have so many plans for the future," he answers. "There is no better time to play RuneScape than now – without a doubt, [I'm] 100% confident. There's a level of confidence that this is the right thing to do, that this is the right opportunity for everyone to come play."
Some of those future updates include a conclusion to the Gnome storyline – which fans have waited 15 years for – along with a new raid and an Agility rework. I'm also keen to see how the newly-announced Dragon Slayer 2 builds upon the iconic original quest, having spent hours battering Vorkath in OSRS' equivalent. More importantly, I'm excited to start RuneScape from scratch – in recent years it's felt overwhelming and, frankly, noticeably quieter than OSRS.
Ahead of December 2, Jagex will need to mend the rift between RuneScape Reignited and RS3's existing players – many of whom remain unconvinced on the MMO's subreddit. But looking to next year, Philpott's goal is to put RuneScape "firmly on the map as one of the MMOs you should be playing." It's ambitious, given a new Final Fantasy 14 expansion is around the corner and World of Warcraft: Forever is poised to breathe new life into Azeroth, but Philpott knows there is still work to be done beyond Reignited.
"We must keep fixing the things we need to fix – it's a marathon, not a sprint – and bring the players on that journey."
We'll be sharing more from our conversation with Philpott, along with a chat with the OSRS team, later this week. Until then – here are the best MMORPGs we're playing at GamesRadar+
