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Jagex’s RuneScape Survival Game: A Deep Dive into Gielinor’s Next Adventure

3/09/2025

Jagex's RuneScape Survival Game: A Deep Dive into Gielinor's Next Adventure

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RuneScape fans, brace yourselves-Jagex is crafting something bold and ambitious: an open-world survival game set in the beloved RuneScape universe. Announced in June 2022, this untitled project has been quietly simmering in development, and as of March 2025, it's showing promising signs of life. With alpha testing underway and Unreal Engine 5 powering its creation, this could be the franchise's most daring leap yet. Here's everything we know about Jagex's mysterious survival venture, from its origins to its potential future.

A New Frontier for RuneScape

Jagex, the Cambridge-based studio behind RuneScape and Old School RuneScape (OSRS), revealed their survival game plans nearly three years ago, promising a fresh take on the Gielinor universe. Unlike the MMORPG roots of its predecessors, this project pivots to the survival genre-a space filled with heavyweights like Rust and Sons of the Forest. Built using Unreal Engine 5, it's a technical leap forward from the Runetek engine that's long defined RuneScape's aesthetic, hinting at lush, expansive worlds and modern mechanics.

Details remain scarce, but early job listings described "large and complex areas" within a "rich, immersive world." Think resource gathering, crafting, and perhaps a dash of PvP chaos-all wrapped in RuneScape's iconic lore. While the setting within Gielinor remains undefined (will we explore Varrock's wild outskirts or a wholly new region?), the shift to Unreal Engine 5 suggests a visual and gameplay experience aimed at both loyal fans and newcomers.

Alpha Testing: A Community-Driven Evolution

Fast forward to October 2024, and Jagex opened the doors to alpha playtesting. The sign-up page (survival.runescape.com) is still live as of March 2025, inviting PC players with Steam and Discord accounts to join the fray. Participants are asked about their hardware and gaming habits, signaling Jagex's intent to fine-tune performance early on. Community chatter on Reddit offers tantalizing glimpses-some testers have called it "goofy and fun," though specifics are locked behind NDAs.

This alpha phase underscores Jagex's community-first ethos, a hallmark of their success with OSRS. An X post from @OldSchoolRS in October 2024 emphasized collaboration with players for feedback, and the studio quickly addressed technical hiccups, like Steam ID length issues during sign-ups. With no word of delays or cancellations, the project appears to be chugging along, potentially eyeing a beta phase next.

The Bigger Picture: Expanding the RuneScape Empire

This survival game is part of Jagex's broader push to grow the RuneScape IP. The studio's track record with OSRS-bolstered by consistent updates and player involvement-shows they can evolve a franchise successfully. Yet, venturing beyond MMORPGs hasn't always been smooth sailing. A leaked RuneScape game in 2023, resembling a modern RPG with Battlepass features, was quietly canceled due to market shifts, proving the risks of such expansions. The survival project, however, stands apart, its persistence a testament to Jagex's resolve.

Publishing SCUM, another survival sim, gives Jagex genre experience to lean on. Could this RuneScape title blend SCUM's gritty survivalism with Gielinor's quirky charm? The community is divided-some see it as a monetization play to ease pressure on OSRS and RuneScape 3, as @SaniOSRS speculated on X in March 2025. Others hope it's a passion project that could redefine the franchise. 

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Challenges and Opportunities

Jagex's history with non-RuneScape titles-like the shuttered Chronicle: RuneScape Legends-casts a shadow of doubt. The survival genre is crowded, and standing out will require more than RuneScape's name. Yet, Unreal Engine 5 offers a chance to dazzle visually, and early testing suggests a playful tone that could carve a unique niche. With PC as the alpha focus, console ports remain a whispered possibility, hinted at in 2022 announcements.

What Lies Ahead?

As of now, the RuneScape survival game is a tantalizing enigma. Alpha testing continues, and the lack of negative updates suggests steady progress. Will it launch in 2026, or linger in development longer? Much depends on player feedback and Jagex's ability to balance survival mechanics with RuneScape's soul. For now, fans can only speculate-and sign up to shape its future.

Quick Facts

  • Announced: June 2022

  • Engine: Unreal Engine 5

  • Status: Alpha testing (March 2025)

  • Platform: PC (alpha), consoles TBD

  • Features: Open-world survival, details under wraps

  • Sign-Up: survival.runescape.com

Jagex's RuneScape survival game is a high-stakes gamble with high-reward potential. Whether it becomes a triumphant evolution or a cautionary tale, one thing's clear: Gielinor's next chapter is being written, one alpha test at a time.