Everything revealed in RuneFest 2025

RuneFest 2025, the year's greatest celebration of the online fantasy RPG RuneScape, returned for its long-awaited sixth edition following a six-year absence, bringing a wave of thrilling announcements, reveals, and in-hand experiences to fans. This year's event will take place at the NEC in Birmingham with thousands of dedicated players gathering for the largest RuneScape event in history.

From large-scale game expansions to an unexpected musical performance and the return of the Golden Gnomes Awards, here's everything that was announced at RuneFest 2025.

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Old School RuneScape: Sailing Skill Alpha, HD Mode, and new content

For the first time in Old School RuneScape’s history, a brand-new skill, called Sailing was showcased at RuneFest and will be released in alpha later this month.

Players will begin with a small raft and level up to transform into expert captains navigating the high seas. They can expect to encounter mermaids, salvage resources, and engage in thrilling naval battles against krakens, Leviathans, and pirates.

RuneFest 2025 also revealed top-level players would face two new challenging bosses — Yama and the Doom of Mokhaiotl — in spring and summer, respectively. Moreover, Old School RuneScape players will enjoy better graphics while retaining its retro appeal with the release of HD Mode later this year.

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Project Zanaris playtest and RuneScape Leagues

Jagex launched Project Zanaris, an eagerly anticipated community world initiative. It will allow players to customize their game worlds with their own set of rules and new ways to enjoy the game. Those interested can now sign up for playtesting with closed tests scheduled for April 2025.

RuneFest 2025 introduced Project Zanaris (Image via Jagex)

RuneScape will welcome RuneScape Leagues later this year, a high-intensity, temporary game mode based on Old School RuneScape's successful Leagues format. Players will begin anew with accelerated XP and rare drop rates, and gain access to strong new passives and items by completing tasks.

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RuneFest 2025 revealed the new Havenhythe

In early 2026, the new area to the east of Morytania called Havenhythe will be added as a new major addition. It will welcome new biomes, bosses, skilling, and a new storyline where players take on Vampyres. Moreover, players can level up Hunter skills above 99 with the Hunter 110 update. This Havenhythe story will enter its second year in 2027 when players travel to the terrifying Vampyrium.

RuneScape: Havenhythe (Image via Jagex)

Jagex announced the second part of the Return to the Desert trilogy, Pharaoh's Folly, will be released on April 7, 2025. The trilogy's final installment – Eclipse of the Heart – will arrive on July 28, 2025, with a showdown against Goddess of Destruction Amascut.

110 Runecrafting arrives in RuneScape with a new rune, the Time Rune, and 110 Crafting is set to arrive in June 2025 to let players acquire new craftable high-level Mage armor. Players can train "Invention" using Runecrafting and Thieving and learn about new components to create new skilling perks for skills like Mining and Archaeology in May 2025 due to new augmentable tools.

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Golden Gnomes Awards & Beatstar collaboration

The Golden Gnomes Awards returned gloriously, awarding RuneScape content creators and cosplayers. Crystal and SoloMission claimed the highly desired Creator's Choice awards for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, respectively.

This year's RuneFest also revealed Jagex joining hands with Beatstar to bring "Amascut's Promise (Remix)" to the hit mobile rhythm game, making it the first video game soundtrack to appear in this title.

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Read more RuneScape-related articles:

• World of Warcraft vs RuneScape: 5 major differences between the games
• 5 things that Runescape did the best (and 5 that needed improvement)