RuneScape lays out its 2026 roadmap, removes Treasure Hunter, and teases a major new region

Jagex has published a broad 2026 roadmap for RuneScape, its long-running MMORPG on PC and mobile, with a heavy focus on what the studio is calling “integrity” updates alongside new content. The biggest immediate change is that Treasure Hunter has been removed, cutting off a major source of gameplay-affecting microtransaction items that have been part of modern RuneScape for years.

Beyond monetization changes, the plan stretches across combat, skilling, social features, and visuals. It also includes a new landmass called Havenhythe as the year’s main expansion track, plus long-requested quality-of-life efforts like reducing “Dailyscape” pressure and opening the door to official client plugin support, something Old School RuneScape players have had via third-party clients for a long time.

Available now: Treasure Hunter has been removed from the game, and many gameplay-impacting MTX items are no longer sold.

• UI refresh: A redesigned interface with a more classic look, including restored stone-style icons and the return of a circular minimap, plus tweaks to the default layout.
• Cosmetic visibility toggles: Options to hide other players’ worn cosmetics and animation overrides on your screen (with more toggle options planned later, including familiar customization).
• World visual pass: A facelift for parts of Misthalin and Asgarnia, including updates to classic free-to-play areas like Lumbridge, Draynor, and Varrock, plus a visual update to Normal, Oak, and Willow trees across the game.

Monetization change: Jagex says players will be able to use up existing MTX item stockpiles through 2026, with additional chances later in the year to clear remaining items before they become obsolete.

Later in spring: RuneMetrics’ in-game features are set to become free for all paid members (including Bond users). Jagex is also stopping sales of RuneMetrics Pro subscriptions and plans to retire the Pro website features later in the year, with a window for existing subscribers to download stored data.

February combat overhaul: A “Combat Modernisation” update is planned to rework Melee, Ranged, and Magic, aiming to make early combat less confusing while keeping depth for endgame players. The studio is positioning this as a foundational cleanup in the wake of recent combat shifts like Necromancy and earlier Evolution of Combat-era revisions.

• Ability pruning: Removal or rework of abilities deemed redundant or bloated.
• Threshold removal: Threshold abilities are planned to be removed, with the goal of letting abilities have more flexible costs.
• Basic attacks returning: A modernized “basic attack” concept is being added back into the three original styles, inspired by how Necromancy handles its baseline combat loop.
• Unlock pacing changes: Ability unlocks will be redistributed across levels, and “lesser” abilities are planned to be removed.
• Visual cleanup: Animation, VFX, and projectile updates to address inconsistencies across the three styles.
• Ammo consumption changes: Plans to normalize ammo use across early-to-endgame for Ranged and Magic.
• New tutorials: Necromancy-style UI tutorials for abilities, and abilities will no longer be auto-added to action bars when unlocked.
• Skill cap increase: Attack, Strength, Ranged, and Magic are planned to go to level 120, matching Necromancy’s cap.
• Aura removals tied to balance: Berserker, Reckless, Maniacal, and Mahjarrat auras are planned to be removed to limit power creep.
• Food adjustments: Solid food is planned to have reduced adrenaline cost, and early-game healing will shift away from confusing Constitution scaling toward static amounts.
• Default action bars: Updated to better reflect the new ability structure and work cleanly with Revolution.

Early game and “Dailyscape” changes: Jagex says it will spend 2026 addressing early-, mid-, and late-game balance, starting in February with early-game friction points. A separate update is planned to reduce the pressure of daily checklists, which have become a defining part of modern RuneScape progression for many players.

• Early-game rebalance (February): Examples mentioned include shrimp catch rates, pickpocket stun chances, and drop table adjustments.
• Life After Dailies: A review of daily-driven systems like shop stocks, vis wax, Distractions and Diversions, and hourly Wilderness events.
• Aura overhaul (spring): Jagex says it intends to fully remove all auras and then explore moving their benefits into the core game.

Grand Exchange and social updates: The roadmap also calls out work on the Grand Exchange and on social systems, two areas that have seen piecemeal changes over the years but remain frequent community pain points.

• GE improvements: Changes planned around price updates, buy limits, and other requested features (with Jagex asking for player feedback).
• Social systems update: A later-2026 update aimed at things like chat range, broadcasts for collection log-style drops, and clan-focused improvements.

Plugin support target: Jagex says it is building a dedicated team to add official API plugin support to the RuneScape client before the end of 2026. That is notable because plugin ecosystems have become a major quality-of-life differentiator in Old School RuneScape, even though they have historically lived in unofficial client territory.

Havenhythe expansion (Part One): The headline content addition is Havenhythe, a new region east of Morytania. Morytania is already one of RuneScape’s most lore-heavy areas, tied to vampyre storylines and darker quest arcs, so placing a new expansion next door signals more of that tone and worldbuilding.

• New quests: A main storyline that begins with arriving in the new area, plus smaller standalone local quests.
• Two early-game bosses: Silverquill (the “Sanguine Hedgehog”) and Ivar (the “King of Bones”), designed as stepping stones for players learning modern boss mechanics like telegraphs and defensive prayers.
• New Slayer creature: The sanguine crawler is planned as an early-game target.
• Hunter to 110: Havenhythe Part One raises the Hunter cap to 110, including an expanded Big Game Hunter-style activity and new training methods like Clockwork Trapping and Clockwork Box Traps.
• New creatures and training curve tweaks: Jackalopes are mentioned as a smoother step up from rabbit snaring, plus a nod to Black chinchompas.
• New skilling nodes: Examples include Red Ivy for Woodcutting and Giant Crayfish for level 82 Fishing, plus an Archaeology soil-sifting familiar.
• Future Havenhythe beats: Another story quest in spring, a First Age Archaeology dig site in summer, and Havenhythe Part Two later in 2026 with a new solo and duo boss encounter involving the Ghrazi Blood Knights.

Player Avatar Refresh returns: Jagex also says the Player Avatar Refresh project, first announced years ago and paused due to technical constraints, is back in active development. The initial rollout includes a new base avatar, updated hair and facial hair options, refreshed base clothing, and improved chathead quality and animations, with more updates planned based on player feedback.

Construction to 120 and Player-Owned House rework: A summer update is planned to raise Construction to 120 and revisit Player-Owned Houses, one of RuneScape’s oldest major systems (dating back to 2006). Jagex says it wants housing to feel more connected to the wider game again, including a new “recipe” approach for unlocking furniture tied to activities like bosses and quests.

Other 2026 plans: Jagex also outlined a mix of quests, remasters, seasonal events, and a second Leagues-style event.

• Standalone quests: One planned for spring that’s described as a spiritual successor to Gertrude’s Cat, plus another standalone quest in autumn.
• Remastered content drops: Two remaster-focused updates are planned, one at the end of spring and another in autumn, with specifics to be announced later.
• Leagues II (autumn): A follow-up to the game’s first League, with faster progression and changes based on feedback from the CATALYST League.
• Visual cleanup: Ongoing “noise control” passes intended to declutter older content and unify the look of Gielinor, alongside rendering tweaks meant to reduce issues like overly shiny modern outfits.

Alongside the roadmap, Jagex is rolling out a new visual identity for RuneScape as part of its 25th anniversary messaging, framing 2026 as a year focused on core-system cleanup as much as new content.