Jagex Announces RuneScape 4 as a Full MMO Built in Unreal Engine
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jagex announced RuneScape 4 during RuneFest, evolving an Unreal Engine survival game expansion into a brand-new standalone MMO featuring player trading and ridable dragons.
Jagex has officially pulled the curtain back on RuneScape 4 during RuneFest in Birmingham, confirming that the studio is expanding its universe with a brand-new massive multiplayer online game. According to details shared with Polygon, the project actually started life as an expansion for RuneScape: Dragonwilds called Shadows of Ashenfall. When the development team leaned into player feedback requesting heavier social mechanics, persistent servers, and player-to-player trading, the scope of the project naturally ballooned into a standalone MMO.
Moving away from proprietary tech, RuneScape 4 is being developed in Unreal Engine, marking a major visual and technical milestone for the franchise. Early promotional material points toward a heavy focus on dragons, letting players both battle and ride the creatures. Executive producer Jesse America noted that the entire Jagex studio is rallying behind the project as its fourth core pillar, sitting alongside the ongoing operations for RuneScape, Old School RuneScape, and Dragonwilds.
While the announcement is exciting, players should temper their expectations for an immediate release since the game is still in very early development. Jagex has not yet shared a release window, target platforms, or deep gameplay mechanics, leaving plenty of questions about how the community will transition between titles. Even so, the prospect of a modernized RuneScape built on Unreal Engine gives long-term fans plenty to watch as the studio maps out the next era of the franchise.
Tags: RuneScape 4, Jagex, MMO, Unreal Engine, PC Gaming
Original article: Polygon