The beginner-friendly RuneScape mode has not gone down well with the community.
Jagex has scrapped RuneScape Reignited just over two weeks after it was announced at RuneFest 2026.
In a blog post accompanied by a video, creative director Mod Ryan revealed that the decision to cancel RuneScape Reignited was driven by community feedback.
The full statement is as follows:
“Hey everyone, Mod Ryan here to give you an update on Reignited.
First of all, thank you for all the feedback since the announcement at RuneFest. We received a ton of different perspectives from all of you, and we truly appreciate everyone sharing their views. It is super important to us because the last time we didn't listen to player feedback, combat changed forever. And it has taken us over a decade to recover from that. Now I said on stage that we would not repeat the same mistakes of the past, and I truly stand by that.
Considering this, we have made the decision to cancel Reignited.
It is clear that we missed the mark on this, and so we are not moving forward with it.
Our goal is to see RuneScape grow again, with returning players coming back and new players joining, but never at the expense of our existing community.”
Why was RuneScape Reignited cancelled?
RuneScape Reignited was intended to be a beginner-friendly mode for the long-running MMORPG, where all players would start fresh in a separate economy with its own leaderboard.
The mode was designed to ease new players into the daunting RuneScape universe, where veteran players have built up years of progress and wealth that newcomers would find almost impossible to catch up with.
However, the community was highly sceptical of the idea, with many fearing that the new mode would eventually kill the original RuneScape.
Critics argued that Reignited would become the obvious choice for new and returning players, inevitably drawing interest and players away from the main game. This concern was further compounded by the inability to transfer accounts between the two modes.
Such a move could jeopardise the loyalty of long-time fans who have invested thousands of hours and, in some cases, real-world money into progressing through RuneScape over the years.
Ultimately, Jagex opted to prioritise its existing player base, cancelling Reignited entirely.
Jagex continues efforts to make RuneScape beginner-friendly
While the news will undoubtedly disappoint those looking forward to trying the new-player-friendly mode, Jagex has assured players that it still has plans to make RuneScape more accessible to newcomers.
On 2 December, Jagex will launch the Adventure Guide and the first part of the Remastered Journey, alongside other improvements designed to help new and returning players get into the game.
There will also be a 10-day free trial running from 2 to 12 December, allowing all players to access content normally exclusive to RuneScape Members. However, Old School RuneScape Members Worlds will not be included in the free trial.
