RuneScape is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, with huge updates and announcements coming to all of its products. First up is the main RuneScape game, also known as RS3, which now has a full roadmap for 2026, including the introduction of the “largest area expansion in the game’s quarter century.” The RuneScape Ahead video, embedded below, details the entire roadmap, all of which comes following the removal of the Treasure Hunter mechanic, as voted upon by nearly 125,000 players.
Called Havenhythe, the first part is coming in Spring, bringing with it two new story quests, two new early-game bosses, and two miniquests, alongside the hunter skill rising to a level cap of 110. Part two, which arrives next winter, doesn’t have quite as many details yet, but there will be a new end-game boss: the Ghrazi Blood Knights. Throughout the year, more Havenhythe content is coming too, including a story quest in the update following the region’s introduction, and a dig site after that.
While the Havenhythe introduction will likely be the most exciting part of the update for longtime players, there’s plenty more to talk about. The whole roadmap is being classed as the “road to restoration,” which intends to “bring integrity back to the heart of RuneScape.” This includes a revamped UI, visual updates across the board including complete refreshes of Misthalin and Asgarnia, and a modernization of the combat style.
“Central to the year ahead is a comprehensive modernisation of RuneScape’s core systems, elevating and enhancing the player experience,” reads the press release. “The roadmap — The Road to Restoration — is a commitment from the studio to tackle the game’s biggest and most requested quality-of-life improvements in order to grow the game’s appeal, and improve consistency across the in-game world of Gielinor. The extensive roadmap includes a new look for the game with updates to the UI and improvements to its visual integrity, combat style modernisation, API plugin support, game rebalancing, overhauls to both ‘dailyscape’ content and Auras and improvements to the Grand Exchange trading system.”
In April, player avatars are undergoing the first part of a significant overhaul, with updates to models, animations, hairstyles, and clothing. Then later down the line, player owned houses are getting some much-needed TLC, with the construction skill seeing an increase to 120 and a new recipe system that “lets players unlock and build furniture inspired by in-game achievements, adventures, and victories.”
Expect more seasonal events too, with Blooming Burrow, Harvest Hollow, and Christmas Village all coming throughout the year. No prizes for guessing when the last one takes place. Finally, Leagues II is arriving, so expect “new overpowered relics, new tasks and challenges, and new rewards,” all “tweaked and finely tuned with community feedback.”
Finally, RuneFest, the annual RuneScape convention, is making a return. Taking place from Oct. 3-4 at the NEC in Birmingham, United Kingdom, it will have a capacity of 6,000 fans, more than double last year’s size. Tickets will go on sale later this year at the official RuneFest site.
