
Game intel
Old School RuneScape
Relive the challenging levelling system and risk-it-all PvP of the biggest retro styled MMO. Play with millions of other players in this piece of online gaming…
This caught my attention because Jagex is balancing two very different jobs at once: keeping Old School RuneScape (OSRS) stubbornly familiar for veterans while pushing real new content that will split the community between “excited” and “prepare your gear.” There’s a year’s worth of updates – Leagues revival, sailing expansions throughout 2026, a new raid called the Fractured Archive, and the long-awaited end to the Myreque story in ‘Blood Moon Rises’ – plus seasonal events, Deadman modes, and a merch drop I can’t stop looking at.
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Publisher|Jagex
Release Date|2026 roadmap announcement
Category|MMO update / Anniversary content
Platform|Old School RuneScape (PC & mobile)
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Jagex’s roadmap reads like a promise to cater to all corners of OSRS fandom. The short version: they’re giving veterans challenging group content, giving casual players seasonal moments and Leagues to chase short-term progression, and expanding an underused skill (Sailing) across an entire year. That mix matters because OSRS lives off both nostalgia and a steady supply of new shared experiences.
Leagues are back in April — a format that historically shakes up the economy and creates a compressed progression sprint. For players who love speedruns and leaderboard stress, this is candy. For ironmen and the economy-minded, it’s another cycle of inflationary pressure and gold sinks to watch.

Sailing is the surprise star. The roadmap teases spring fixes, a player-designed island and combat updates in summer, a Barracuda Trial and sailing story sequel in fall, and a broader sea expansion later. That’s a sustained development commitment, not a single quest patch. If Jagex follows through, Sailing could become a repeatable moneymaker and social activity rather than a one-off mini-feature.
The Myreque finale — ‘Blood Moon Rises’ — is the emotional payoff a lot of long-time players have been waiting for. This storyline dates back to the earliest days of Gielinor and finishing it with a grandmaster quest is the kind of canonical moment that keeps legacy players invested. Expect high difficulty, meaningful rewards, and likely party content given the headline “grandmaster” label.
Then there’s Fractured Archive: OSRS’s first raid in four years, already described as the “toughest raid yet.” Short take — if you quit a while back and planned to return for the next big showdown, this is the one to prep for. It will widen the gear/skill gap and re-establish raid tiers in the meta. Jagex being intentionally vague about mechanics suggests they want discovery or aren’t ready to spoil difficulty tuning, which can be good for the initial community scramble.

Yes, there are keycaps — and a hand-painted TzKal-Zuk cap is peak collector bait. The merch drop extends to a special-edition PC bundled with themed swag like Godsword art and a login-screen mousepad. I’m simultaneously excited (these are gorgeous) and skeptical: limited-edition hardware always skews collector-first and player-second. Still — merchandising like this signals that OSRS is culturally relevant again, which matters for player acquisition and event hype.
Deadman: Annihilation is running until Feb 21, with Deadman: Allstars finale tickets going on sale for a Chicago event. That competitive, spectator-friendly tilt keeps OSRS in the tournament conversation, which helps longevity beyond in-game updates.
If you’re a casual or returning player: look forward to seasonal events and Leagues for bite-sized rewards and fresh content without committing to raids.

If you’re a veteran or group player: start organizing. Fractured Archive and the Myreque grandmaster will require coordination and likely a clear gear meta. Sailing opens a new avenue for group activities and economy impact — don’t sleep on its long-term value.
If you like merch: the keycaps and special PC are tempting collector moves, but remember they signal Jagex is monetizing nostalgia; enjoy responsibly.
Yes. This roadmap keeps OSRS faithful to its roots while adding enough new and challenging content to justify logging back in. Fractured Archive will be the headline challenge; Blood Moon Rises closes a decades-old chapter; sailing is getting a multi-season focus; and Leagues/Deadman keep short-term engagement high. Also: buy the keycaps if you want to feel like Gielinor’s tastemaker.
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