UK-based game studio Jagex has confirmed workforce reductions as part of organizational changes. Community representative JagexHooli stated on social media:

Regrettably, position eliminations have occurred during a company reorganization concentrated on prioritizing RuneScape titles and expanding community initiatives. Most affected roles are not directly tied to game creation or player interaction, though some exceptions occurred within RS teams as we refine development processes.

Concerns about RuneScape 3’s future are understandable, but this doesn’t alter our direction. The existing game plan and content schedule remain intact, and we’ll share updates when appropriate. Our immediate priority is assisting impacted colleagues during this transition.

Concurrently, development on ‘Project Zanaris’ – an initiative for Old School RuneScape private servers – has been halted. The studio explained:

Following extensive evaluation, we’re indefinitely suspending Zanaris development. While innovative, the project’s timeline and resource demands conflicted with our commitment to enhancing the current OSRS experience. We’re redirecting efforts to features players value most in the present.

This news follows Jagex’s recent Early Access launch of RuneScape: Dragonwilds on Steam, a cooperative survival title. Tracking sources vary, with estimates indicating between 550,000 and 842,000 users have accessed the title based on different analytics platforms.