The company Jagex developed the MMORPG RuneScape, which is still successful today. Currently, the developer is also working on 2 new RPGs that are supposed to complement the universe. These could also survive in the long term.
What kind of games are they? According to a mid-year report from Jagex, the company is currently working on two titles:
- An action RPG
- An MMORPG
Both titles are meant to complement the RuneScape franchise while providing a new gaming experience. Jagex has also introduced the minds behind the new game titles, which have now been conceived despite the Corona situation.
Why is this interesting? The franchise surrounding RuneScape remains successful years after its release and even set several records in 2019. This is due to two reasons:
On one hand, the series has loyal, yet totally crazy fans. They have managed to get Jagex to re-release an old version of RuneScape. Old School RuneScape is not only running successfully but is also being developed in a new direction determined by fans. Every feature requires a 75% approval before it is implemented.
On the other hand, the two sandbox games are designed to keep players engaged in the long term. They offer a variety of tasks, mini-games, and things worth farming. They are also constantly being expanded.
Another advantage is the current situation of Jagex. They are financially doing well. However, there has already been an attempt to create a successor to RuneScape named “MechScape”. The game was canceled before its release.
Developers of Star Wars Galaxies and CoD Mobile are involved
Who is leading the development? The Executive Producer for the new MMORPG is Mario Rizzo, who has previously worked for Sony. From 2003 to 2005, he was a developer for EverQuest 2 and until mid-2006, he was Associate Producer for Star Wars Galaxies. He continued to work on online RPGs, including for EA and Ubisoft.
The leadership for the action RPG is taken by Jesse America. He previously worked at Activision Blizzard for Candy Crush and Call of Duty: Mobile. He works there alongside Nathan Richardson, who has previously worked for CCP (EVE Online) and Trion Worlds (Rift, ArcheAge) and was introduced for a “new project” at Jagex at the end of 2018.
The third person introduced is Jendrik Posche, the Technical Executive Producer. He has been working on computer games for over 30 years and is supposed to support all teams with technical matters.
What do we know so far about the games? As early as 2018, there was talk of Jagex’s new MMORPG. Back then, it was said that a next-gen game was planned, but there wasn’t much information:
- The game is supposed to be easily accessible but also very deep.
- It should remind players of the early days of RuneScape.
- The game world should come alive.
- They want to benefit from what Jagex has learned over (at the time) 17 years of RuneScape.
So far, it is only known that the action RPG should be a “shared world” game. It has been in development since at least the end of 2018, where it was first mentioned on Nathan Richardson’s LinkedIn account.
If you want to try RuneScape for yourself, you can play the current version on PC and Old School RuneScape even on smartphones. It is among the best MMORPGs we recommend for Android and iOS.
