Overview
- Following Tuesday's RuneFest reveal, Jagex proposed RuneScape Reignited as a new-account mode with fresh worlds, separate economies and HiScores that require players to make new characters to participate.
- Longtime players reacted with boos at RuneFest, widespread online outrage and some canceled memberships, driven by fear that decades of account progress would be devalued or left behind.
- In response Jagex removed the Reignited trailer, apologized in a developer blog, blamed a partner for using generative AI in promotional material and said it is re-evaluating the proposal.
- Developers clarified that veteran accounts will not be reset, that veteran and Reignited characters can appear in the same worlds but will face interaction limits such as restricted trading, and that membership and subscription handling is under review.
- RuneScape's 25-year history of sensitivity to microtransactions and one-account progression makes this a fraught change, and Jagex says it will pursue major revisions to avoid a lasting split in the player community.