RuneFest 2026: My Thoughts on RuneScape’s Future as a Filthy Casual

Before getting into the RuneFest 2026 announcements, I should probably explain what I mean by calling myself a filthy casual.

I’ve spent an embarrassing number of hours playing the game over the years, including maxing my main account before eventually deleting it. A decision I still regret, partly because of the amount of time I’d invested, but also because I went and deleted the only thing I had to show for it!

Since then, I’ve put another couple of hundred hours into a free-to-play Ironman account, which I’ve been playing on and off over the last few months.

However, my relationship with RuneScape has changed considerably. I no longer spend anywhere near as much time playing, and I’m much less concerned about keeping up with every update or progressing as efficiently as possible. These days, I enjoy playing at my own pace, setting smaller goals and spending time on the things that interest me.

So while I might have the experience of a long-time player, I think it’s fair to say I’m approaching RuneScape as a filthy casual these days.

Regardless of whether I’m actively playing, though, I still try to keep up with what’s happening in the world of RuneScape. It’s a game that has been a huge part of my life, something I’ve written about previously in Why RuneScape Is My Favourite Game of All Time.

And this year’s RuneFest announcements have given me quite a lot to think about.

Missing RuneFest, but Not the Announcements

I’d originally planned to attend RuneFest 2026 with a friend, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure tickets. Instead, I ended up booking a last-minute holiday to Rhodes with my wife, which wasn’t exactly a bad alternative.

As it happened, I was flying out to Greece while the RuneFest announcements were taking place. When I finally turned off airplane mode after landing, I was greeted by a collection of excited messages from my friend about everything Jagex had announced.

While standing in the queue at border control, I tried to catch up with as much of the news as possible on my phone.

There was quite a lot to get through, and between reading the announcements and replying to my friend about the updates I was most excited for, I didn’t really have an opportunity to properly digest everything.

Now that I’ve been home for a little while, I’ve finally had the chance to sit down and look through the announcements in more detail.

With news covering Old School RuneScape, RuneScape: Dragonwilds and RuneScape 3, alongside the unexpected announcement of another RuneScape MMO, there’s plenty to talk about.

While I’m primarily an RS3 player, I’ve recently started playing Dragonwilds and would like to give OSRS a proper go at some point. So although I won’t pretend to understand every announcement in detail, I wanted to share the updates that interested me most, along with my thoughts on the wider direction of each game.

I’ll leave RuneScape 3 until last, as it’s the one I’m most excited about, although it also happens to have generated some of the biggest controversy.

Old School RuneScape: RuneFest 2026 Announcements

RuneFest 2026 included a substantial collection of announcements for Old School RuneScape, covering new ways to play, quests, bosses and improvements to existing skills.

Quick Overview of the OSRS Announcements

• Hardcore Worlds – A fresh-start experience with a separate economy and one life.
• Dungeons of Gielinor – New dungeons, monsters and bosses across different difficulty levels.
• Menaphos – The long-awaited opening of the Golden City.
• Mining & Smithing: Reforged – Proposed improvements to both skills.
• Fairytale III – The continuation of the Fairytale questline.
• The Chosen Commander – A new chapter in the Dorgeshuun storyline.
• Quest Month – A collection of quest-related updates.
• The Tower of Xorphoros – A mysterious new activity.
• The Fractured Archive – A new endgame raid.

For the complete details, see the RuneFest 2026 OSRS Summit Overview.

While I don’t actively play OSRS, there are several announcements that interest me, particularly as I’ve been considering giving the game a proper go for quite some time.

Hardcore Worlds and a Fresh Economy

Hardcore Worlds is an interesting concept, offering players a fresh start with a separate economy, trading and Grand Exchange access, but with only a single life.

Unlike Hardcore Ironman, players won’t have the same restrictions around trading or interacting with others, making it an appealing alternative for those who enjoy a challenge without committing to the full Ironman experience.

The separate economy is what interests me most. I enjoy working towards equipment and resources that I’d otherwise take for granted, and starting in a completely new economy could make that experience even more rewarding.

I’m also intrigued by the option to transfer a character to the normal game after dying. Although, I do wonder how this might affect the existing economy, particularly if players deliberately take advantage of the fresh economy before transferring their wealth over.

Dungeons of Gielinor and More Dragons

Dungeons of Gielinor is another announcement I’m pleased to see, particularly its focus on introducing bosses across different difficulty levels.

I’ve always enjoyed bossing in RuneScape, although I’m not particularly good at it. There’s a steep learning curve when getting started, and the community isn’t always the most welcoming towards those trying to learn. Introducing more accessible encounters should help players develop their confidence before tackling some of the tougher bosses.

However, the announcement that really caught my attention was Gemstone Dragons!

Dragons have always been one of my favourite parts of RuneScape, going back to some of my earliest memories of playing. Even after years of playing, hunting them remained one of my favourite activities.

So the addition of Gemstone Dragons, alongside a Diamond Dragon boss, is something I’m particularly excited about. It’s another reason why I’m increasingly tempted to give OSRS a go.

Mining, Smithing, Quests and Raids

I was also pleased to see the proposed Mining and Smithing rework. Both skills have remained relatively tedious to train in OSRS, and I think there’s plenty of room for improvement.

RuneScape 3 introduced a similar rework in 2019, which made both skills significantly more enjoyable and their progression much more meaningful. I’m hoping OSRS can achieve something similar, particularly when it comes to making the rewards more appropriate for the levels required to unlock them.

There are also several new quests planned, including Fairytale III, The Chosen Commander and additional story content involving Menaphos.

Questing is something I’ve only recently started properly appreciating. In the past, I often completed quests simply to unlock equipment or new areas, whereas these days I’m much more interested in experiencing the stories themselves.

One of the things that appeals to me about OSRS is how differently its questlines have developed compared to RS3, with plenty of unique stories I’ve never experienced.

Finally, there’s The Fractured Archive, a new endgame raid. I’ve always felt that OSRS has handled raids considerably better than RS3, where the original format never quite developed into the same popular, repeatable activity. Although I don’t know much about the new raid yet, it’s another interesting addition to an already substantial roadmap.

Overall, there’s plenty here that appeals to me, even as someone watching from the sidelines. Whether I’ll find the time to commit to another version of RuneScape is another question, but Jagex is certainly making that decision more difficult.

RuneScape: Dragonwilds – RuneFest 2026 Roadmap

Of all the RuneFest 2026 announcements, the Dragonwilds roadmap was particularly interesting to me, especially as I’ve only recently started playing the game.

I’m still relatively early into my adventure and have deliberately avoided looking too far ahead, as I want to discover as much as possible for myself. I’ll be writing about my first experiences with Dragonwilds in a separate post, but I’ve already been really impressed with what I’ve played.

Seeing Jagex continue to invest in Dragonwilds alongside its established MMORPGs is encouraging, particularly as it offers such a different way to experience the RuneScape universe.

Quick Overview of the Dragonwilds Announcements

• Illuminating Luminance – The next major free update, arriving in December 2026.
  • Fairy Rings
  • New Elven armour and equipment
  • Elven-themed building kit
  • Prayer skill
• The Blood Crystal Saga – A new storyline planned for 2027.
  • Song of Rebellion – The first chapter of the saga.
  • Crown of Night – The second chapter, featuring new locations and equipment.
  • Ailddinas and additional Elven-themed areas
  • Hunter skill
  • Iconic weapons, including the Dark Bow and Ivandis Flail
• Official Modding Support – Creation tools and an in-game mod browser across supported platforms.

For the full roadmap, see the RuneScape: Dragonwilds RuneFest 2026 announcements.

While my knowledge of Dragonwilds is still fairly limited, there are several features I’m particularly looking forward to.

Luminance: New Building Options and Prayer

One of my favourite parts of Dragonwilds so far has been base building. I really enjoy gathering resources, experimenting with designs and gradually developing something more substantial. So the announcement of a new Elven-themed building kit, inspired by the architecture of Prifddinas, immediately caught my attention.

The existing building system already offers plenty of variety, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the community creates with these new pieces.

The update also introduces new Elven armour, which looks fantastic. I particularly like how Jagex has taken inspiration from the original RuneScape without simply recreating existing equipment, helping Dragonwilds maintain its own identity.

Another significant addition is Prayer, one of RuneScape’s most iconic skills. I’m interested to see how Jagex adapts it for a survival game, particularly through activities such as burying bones and scattering ashes.

Considering how much of my time I’ve spent gathering resources and building rather than fighting, perhaps it’ll encourage me to spend a little more time improving my combat skills too.

The Blood Crystal Saga and Hunter

Moving into 2027, the Blood Crystal Saga will introduce new story content, environments, enemies and equipment across two major updates: Song of Rebellion and Crown of Night.

The concept art looks particularly impressive, especially the new Elven environments, including the city of Ailddinas. I’m also looking forward to seeing familiar weapons such as the Dark Bow and Ivandis Flail reimagined in Dragonwilds.

However, another announcement that really interested me was the introduction of Hunter.

Of all the traditional RuneScape skills, I think Hunter is one of the most natural fits for Dragonwilds. It’s a survival game, after all, so being able to hunt animals for food and resources makes a lot of sense.

I particularly like the idea of having more ways to interact with the environment, rather than relying entirely on combat. It’ll be interesting to see how Hunter works alongside the existing crafting and survival systems.

Official Modding Support

One announcement I initially overlooked was official modding support, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more exciting the possibilities have become.

Jagex is planning to introduce dedicated creation tools and an in-game mod browser across supported platforms, allowing players to create and share their own content.

For a game already focused on exploration, crafting and creativity, I think this has enormous potential.

I’d particularly love to see the community recreate more content from the original RuneScape games, whether that’s familiar equipment, creatures, buildings or entirely new environments inspired by Gielinor.

It’ll depend on what the tools allow, but I can imagine community-created content becoming a significant part of Dragonwilds, particularly for players who enjoy base building.

Overall, it’s an exciting roadmap for a game I’ve only just started exploring. There’s already an enormous amount of content I haven’t experienced, so knowing there’s so much more planned makes me even more enthusiastic about continuing my adventure.

RuneScape 3: The RuneFest 2026 Announcements I’m Most Excited About

Of all the RuneFest 2026 announcements, RuneScape 3 is easily the game I’m most excited about.

I’ve spent the vast majority of my time with RuneScape playing RS3, and despite stepping away from it for various periods, it’s always been the version I’ve felt most connected to.

Over the past year, Jagex has made some significant changes to the game, particularly through the removal of Treasure Hunter and its wider efforts to address long-standing concerns about the player experience.

I’ve been encouraged by the direction they’ve taken, and the RuneFest announcements have reinforced that feeling.

Quick Overview of the RuneScape 3 Announcements

• RuneScape Reignited – A proposed fresh-start experience with its own economy and hiscores. Cancelled on 15 October 2026 following community feedback.
• Remastering RuneScape – Improvements to the early-game experience, quests, environments and interface.
• The Adventure Guide – A new in-game system to help new and returning players discover content.
• Hoard of Dragons – The first major story arc of 2027.
  • Dragon Slayer II
  • Gilded Dragons
  • Grandmaster Clue Scrolls
  • Agility rework
• City of Gnomes – The second major story arc.
  • The city of Arposandra
  • The Curse of Arposandra
  • Glouphrie the Untrusted
  • Argento’s Nightmare
  • Remastered Gnome quests and areas
• Secrets of Karamja – The third major story arc.
  • Temple of Ah Za Rhoon raid
  • New Archaeology-related storyline
• Road to Restoration – Continued improvements to existing systems and gameplay.
• Official Plugins – The introduction of community-developed plugins.

You can find further details in the official RuneScape 2027 Roadmap.

What I find particularly encouraging is that Jagex isn’t exclusively focusing on new endgame content. There’s also a considerable effort being made to improve the experience for new and returning players, something I think RuneScape has needed for a long time.

Remastering RuneScape’s Early Game

RuneScape has accumulated an enormous amount of content over the past 25 years, which is both one of its greatest strengths and one of its biggest weaknesses.

For new players, the game can be incredibly overwhelming. With hundreds of quests, numerous skills, different combat systems and a complicated interface, it’s not always obvious where to begin.

Even as someone who has spent thousands of hours playing, I occasionally find myself needing to look things up.

So I’m pleased to see Jagex focusing on modernising the early-game experience, including environmental improvements, remastered versions of classic quests such as Demon Slayer, Vampyre Slayer and Dragon Slayer, and changes to simplify the interface and skill guides.

However, one of the most important additions, in my opinion, is the Adventure Guide.

This will provide an in-game resource to help new and returning players understand the game, discover content and find some direction.

The RuneScape Wiki is an incredible resource, but players shouldn’t need to rely on external websites or YouTube tutorials just to understand how to get started.

I think this could make an enormous difference, particularly if Jagex wants to attract players who are completely new to RuneScape or have discovered the franchise through OSRS or Dragonwilds.

With these improvements planned for 2 December 2026, I’m particularly interested in seeing how much they change the experience of starting a new character.

RuneScape Reignited: The Fresh Start I Was Looking Forward To

When Jagex announced RuneScape Reignited, I was genuinely excited about the concept.

The idea was to introduce a new character type with a fresh economy, separate hiscores and progression free from the influence of the game’s previous microtransactions.

For someone who has been considering returning to RuneScape properly, it sounded like an ideal opportunity.

When I was playing on my old maxed account, I’d reached a point where much of my time was spent repeating the same activities. I’d achieved most of my original goals, and the game had gradually started to feel more like a routine than something I enjoyed.

Eventually, I deleted the account and stepped away because I’d developed some fairly unhealthy playing habits. I still regret deleting it, but I don’t regret recognising that I needed to change how I was spending my time.

Since returning with my free-to-play Ironman, I’ve found a much healthier balance. I’m enjoying the slower progression, setting smaller goals and not feeling particularly concerned about efficiency or keeping up with everyone else.

I’d been considering getting membership again, but hadn’t quite found the right reason to commit.

Reignited seemed like that reason.

There are so many quests, activities and lower-level updates that I’ve never properly experienced, either because they were released after I’d already progressed beyond them or because there was little reason to revisit them on a maxed account.

Starting fresh, particularly alongside the updated early-game experience, would have given me an opportunity to enjoy that content properly. I was also excited about the prospect of a new economy and an influx of new and returning players.

Unfortunately, the announcement proved considerably more controversial than I’d expected.

The Reignited Backlash and Its Cancellation

Following RuneFest, there was a significant amount of criticism directed towards Reignited.

While I didn’t agree with all of it, I could understand some of the concerns, particularly around splitting an already relatively small player base.

If large numbers of players moved to Reignited, the existing worlds could become even quieter. There were also understandable concerns about how Jagex would divide its attention between the two experiences, and what that might mean for players who had spent years developing their existing characters.

However, I still felt Reignited had the potential to attract returning players and introduce new people to RS3. I was hoping Jagex could find an approach that addressed those concerns without abandoning the concept.

Unfortunately, on 15 October 2026, Jagex announced that Reignited had been cancelled.

I was bitterly disappointed, particularly as I’d already started planning the character I wanted to create.

That said, I understand the decision. Jagex has been working hard to rebuild trust with the community, and pushing ahead with something that had received such a negative response could have undermined that progress.

I still think there’s value in offering a fresh-start experience, but it needs to be something existing players can support.

Fortunately, the early-game remaster and Adventure Guide are still planned for December, alongside a 10-day free membership trial from 2–12 December 2026 for eligible new and returning RuneScape characters.

And after giving it some thought, I’ve decided that I’m still going ahead with my plans to create a new members Ironman.

It won’t be quite the fresh start I’d imagined, but the 2027 roadmap has given me plenty of reasons to return.

Hoard of Dragons: My Favourite 2027 Announcement

The first major content arc planned for 2027 is Hoard of Dragons.

Given how much I’ve already spoken about my love of dragons, it’s probably not surprising that this is the announcement I’m most excited about.

Over the years, I’ve even set myself challenges to kill 10,000 of each dragon type, something I’m still yet to complete. Perhaps the upcoming updates will give me a reason to revisit those challenges.

The biggest announcement for me is Dragon Slayer II.

Dragon Slayer is one of RuneScape’s most iconic quests, and I still remember the excitement of completing it for the first time. OSRS already has its own version of Dragon Slayer II, which was well received, so I’ve got high hopes for the RS3 version.

The update will also introduce Gilded Dragons and a new area called Dragon Isle, alongside activities involving stealing dragon eggs, hunting dragons for scales and using those resources to reforge equipment.

I really like the idea of gathering resources and gradually working towards better equipment, particularly when it involves hunting dragons.

I’m hoping Dragon Isle becomes somewhere players have plenty of reasons to return beyond completing the main quest.

I’d also love to see Jagex revisit some older dragon-related equipment, particularly the Dragonfire Shield. It’s such an iconic item, but it’s become much less relevant as stronger equipment has been introduced over the years.

Bringing it back into relevance would be a nice way to connect the new content with some of RuneScape’s history.

Grandmaster Clue Scrolls and the Agility Rework

Another addition planned for the Hoard of Dragons arc is Grandmaster Clue Scrolls.

I spent a considerable amount of time completing hard and elite clues on my old account, so the introduction of an even higher tier is particularly appealing.

The new clues are expected to involve bossing, timed challenges and high-level skilling, offering something quite different from the existing tiers.

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about clue scrolls is how they encourage you to engage with different parts of the game. Quest requirements, skill levels and equipment unlocks all provide goals to work towards, often leading you into content you might otherwise have ignored.

I think this will work particularly well with a new account, and I’m already considering setting myself some long-term goals around dragon hunting and treasure hunting.

There’s also an Agility rework planned, which I’m relieved to see.

Agility has never been one of my favourite skills. On my old account, I relied heavily on Silverhawk feathers, so the prospect of training it again through traditional methods isn’t particularly appealing.

With changes to microtransactions removing that option, I’m hoping the rework makes the skill more enjoyable through its actual gameplay.

There haven’t been many details revealed yet, but it’s encouraging to see Jagex recognising that the skill needs attention.

City of Gnomes: Revisiting a Forgotten Questline

The second major story arc is City of Gnomes.

Admittedly, this is one of the announcements I’m less excited about, largely because I remember very little of the existing Gnome questline. I’m fairly sure I completed most of it on my original account, but I couldn’t tell you much about the story.

However, there are a few interesting additions.

One is Glouphrie the Untrusted, a new solo boss described as a master of illusion magic. I’m curious about how this will translate into combat mechanics and whether we might see some interesting new magic equipment or abilities as rewards, although that’s purely speculation.

There’s also Argento’s Nightmare, a new community skilling boss that will provide an alternative way to train Woodcutting, Firemaking, Divination and Farming.

I’ve never spent much time with RuneScape’s existing skilling bosses, but the idea of training skills through more interactive activities appeals to me, particularly when starting a new character.

The update will also include remasters of the existing Gnome quests and their associated areas, continuing Jagex’s efforts to modernise older content.

Perhaps playing through the storyline again will help me appreciate it more than I did the first time.

Secrets of Karamja: The Return of Raids

The third major arc planned for 2027 is Secrets of Karamja, which includes something we haven’t seen added to RS3 since 2015: a new traditional raid.

I remember the original raid being an interesting concept, but I don’t think its implementation worked particularly well. The restrictions surrounding the content made it difficult to engage with regularly, and it eventually faded into the background as Elite Dungeons became more prominent.

So I’m interested to see what Jagex has learned and how it approaches a modern raid.

The Temple of Ah Za Rhoon raid will form part of a wider storyline involving an Archaeology expedition into Karamja, which I think is an interesting way to connect combat content with the rest of the game.

My main hope is that it’s accessible enough for more players to get involved. I’m not suggesting it should be easy, particularly if it’s intended as high-level content, but there’s a difference between creating challenging encounters and making them unnecessarily difficult to access.

I’ll be interested to see how Jagex approaches this as more information becomes available.

RuneScape 4: An Unexpected Announcement

One of the biggest surprises from RuneFest was the announcement that Jagex has started development on another RuneScape MMORPG.

Currently referred to as RuneScape 4, although that’s only a working title, the new game is being developed using Unreal Engine and will offer another way to experience Gielinor.

Based on the brief teaser, it looks like a significant departure from the technology behind the existing MMORPGs.

I can certainly understand the appeal of creating a modern RuneScape using Unreal Engine, particularly after seeing what Jagex has achieved with Dragonwilds.

However, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the announcement.

Jagex has spent a considerable amount of time and effort trying to restore confidence in RuneScape 3, improving its systems and giving players reasons to return.

Announcing another MMORPG alongside those efforts feels like an interesting decision, particularly when RS3 is still undergoing such significant changes.

It naturally raises questions about what the future might look like for the existing games and how Jagex intends to support them over the longer term.

That said, development is still in its early stages, and it sounds like we’re several years away from seeing anything substantial.

There’s not enough information available for me to form much of an opinion yet.

I’m interested in seeing what Jagex eventually creates, but for now, I’m considerably more excited about the updates coming to the games we already have.

Looking Ahead: Why I’m Excited About RuneScape Again

Looking back at the RuneFest 2026 announcements, I think there’s an enormous amount to look forward to across all three games, despite the disappointment surrounding Reignited.

For me, the biggest takeaway isn’t simply the amount of new content being introduced, but the direction Jagex is taking the franchise, particularly with its efforts to modernise RuneScape 3 and make it more accessible to new and returning players.

I spent years treating RuneScape almost like a checklist, constantly working towards the next level or achievement. Eventually, I’d forgotten what made me enjoy the game in the first place.

Playing my free-to-play Ironman over the last few months has helped me rediscover that enjoyment, and the announcements have given me a reason to take things a little further.

So, come December, I’ll be starting a new members Ironman.

I’ve already got a few ideas for goals, particularly around dragon hunting and clue scrolls, and I’m looking forward to documenting that journey here on the blog.

This time, though, I want to approach things differently. I’m in no rush to reach the endgame, and I’d rather take my time exploring content I might previously have overlooked.

And perhaps being a filthy casual isn’t such a bad thing after all.

What did you think of the RuneFest 2026 announcements? Were you disappointed by the cancellation of Reignited, or do you think Jagex made the right decision? And which upcoming updates are you most looking forward to?