RS Ahead at RuneFest - Havenhythe, Leagues and More Revealed!
RuneFest is back! If you're reading this, we've just finished coming off the stage with our RuneScape Ahead keynote. We've been looking forward to doing this for what feels like forever - if you joined us live, we hope you have as much fun as we had putting this together!
Whether you watched along or are playing catchup, this blog has you covered with a rundown of all our announcements from the stage - including a bigger look at 2025, our New Area Expansion in 2026 and a whole bunch more.
From mastering skills, conquering bosses, unraveling deep lore—or diving into it all— we hope this Roadmap has something fresh, thrilling, and rewarding on the horizon for every kind of player.
Contents
New Time Limited Mode: RuneScape's First Ever Leagues!
New Area Expansion: Havenhythe
Combat Boss: Amascut, Goddess of Destruction
Skilling Update: 110 Runecrafting
Skilling Update: 110 Crafting
New Quest: Pharoah's Folly
New Quest: Eclipse of the Heart
Seasonal Event: Easter Blooming Burrow 2025 & Duck Quest
Skilling Update: Augmented Runecrafting & Thieving
The Big Reveals
New Time Limited Mode: RuneScape's First Ever Leagues!
RuneScape will get its first ever Leagues in Autumn 2025!
With Havenhythe shifting back a couple months into 2026, we felt it's only right we fill that gap with another big moment near the end of the year. This felt like the perfect opportunity to finally deliver on something we know many of you have been pining for, and bring Leagues to life in RuneScape for the first time.
For those unfamiliar, imagine stepping into Gielinor fresh all over again — wide-eyed, ambitious, ready to take on the world. Now, crank that up to maximum chaos. Leagues is a limited-time game mode where the usual rules don’t apply—game-breaking buffs, insane XP rates, and a whole new way to play. You'll play on an alternative save of your account starting from scratch, with no additional Membership required.
There’s so much more we can’t wait to share, but we’ll reveal the details closer to launch. Just know this—Leagues will bring the fast-paced, exhilarating gameplay you love from Old School, but with a distinctly RuneScape twist.
New Area Expansion: Havenhythe
Havenhythe is RuneScape’s next major area expansion, arriving over a series of updates in 2026!
Situated east of Morytania, this mysterious, isolated land is rich with lost history, bountiful resources, and diverse biomes to explore. It’s more than just a new location, home to a variety of updates and a new quest series. Meet new characters, uncover ancient secrets, and face a new threat feared even by Gielinor’s deadliest predators.
With each update unveiling new areas and gameplay, Havenhythe promises an epic, year-long adventure—and it’s shaping up to be something truly special.
Journey Begins
Your journey to Havenhythe begins with a voyage to Wendlewick, the largest settlement in this mysterious new land.
Nestled between towering cliffs and cascading waterfalls, this idyllic coastal town reflects the quirks and personalities of its inhabitants—right down to their homes. Feel free to explore and invade their personal space… because apparently, no one minds. Meet the locals and Inanna, the Guardian of Guthix who has watched over this land throughout the ages.
Venture beyond the town to its smaller settlements, farms, and fairytale-like forests for some idyllic skilling. The lush forests will be an ideal place to train, unwind, and enjoy the grind as you test your Hunting skills anew in our 110 Hunting update.
Travelling East
The tension grows. To uncover the vampyre threat and dive deeper into Havenhythe’s mysteries, you’ll need to venture east beyond the ideallic west into the central marshes, swamps and bleak moorlands.
As you navigate through, you'll face enemies unknown among strange hazards - including a mysterious fog that drains your sanity. It won’t be as simple as walking through. You’ll need to rely on your skills, uncover hidden cues, and master the labyrinthine terrain.
Twisting pathways lead through ruins of an ancient civilization, remnants of long-forgotten rituals, all lying in the shadow of a massive, eerie statue. But is it a statue? Who built it? And why does it feel so... unsettling? These ruins date back to the true First Age—a lost era before Zaros, before recorded history, when gods ruled through blood and fear. While the chaos of the God Wars erased most traces of this time, Havenhythe’s untouched ruins remain, waiting to be explored.
And, of course, what are ancient ruins without a new First Age Archaeology dig site? Here, you’ll uncover powerful Relics, unearth lost Artefacts, and piece together the secrets of Havenhythe’s dark past. You’ll need all the knowledge and strength you can gather—because what’s ahead will test you like never before.
Facing the Threat
As your journey takes you to the far east of Havenhythe, you'll reach the heart of the local vampyre threat.
Chapter 3 delivers the climactic showdown, featuring a big bad boss fight worthy of the blood-soaked battlefield you’re about to enter. The deeper you go, the stranger and deadlier everything becomes. The land itself is hostile—jagged cliffs, rivers that look like blood, and an overwhelming sense that you don’t belong here.
At the end of it all lies Shuruk-Ba, an ancient First Age city—a place steeped in blood magic and teeming with enemy forces. At its center? A massive, red portal. Surely nothing to worry about... right?
Yeah, you know better than that. This is an open gateway to Vampyrium, the terrifying world of blood, the birthplace of all vampyres.
The primordial strigoi have emerged through its dark energy — an ancient breed of vampyre, more terrifying than anything Gielinor has seen.
Among them stand the twin blood knights, powerful and intelligent warriors who must be defeated if you hope to reach the portal.
You’ll have to fight for your life against the Strigoi and all manner of horrors and as we move into the second year of the story in 2027. Then, it'll be time to take the fight to the source in Vampyrium itself. No more glimpses through castle windows or brief forays in a quest found here.
We're incredibly excited to bring this brand new area to life in 2026, followed by Vampyrium in 2027. While we were originally targeting the end of 2025 to begin this journey, we're taking a few extra months to make sure this is a journey worth remembering. We'll see you in early 2026 as we begin two years of epic adventures, new mysteries and iconic villains across two distinct new landmasses.
Also To Come In 2025
Skilling Update: 110 Runecrafting
Last year, we introduced 110 skilling updates to expand RuneScape’s skilling experience beyond level 99. These updates provide the space to introduce new content, items, challenges, and rewards—and we're committed to rolling them out for every skill in the coming years.
After the release of 110 Mining & Smithing and 110 Woodcutting & Fletching, we've gathered valuable feedback to shape future updates. Now, it’s time for the next evolution: 110 RuneCrafting—launching in just two days, on March 3rd!
Prepare to uncover the mysterious Time Rune at the Time Altar, unlocking new skilling and combat spells—plus handy new teleports that clue hunters won’t want to miss!
Also keep your eyes peeled for an update later this year from the combat team that'll be giving effects to the recent Masterwork weapons we've introduced, and some improvements to legendary weapon effects such as the Ek-ZekKil and Fractured Staff of Armadyl.
New Quest: Pharoah's Folly
Get ready for the next chapter in the Return to the Desert trilogy with Pharaoh’s Folly, launching April 7th!
Picking up right after Beneath Scabaras’ Sands, you’ll return to Menaphos to join Ozan and Leela in exposing Pharaoh Osman’s treachery. With the fate of the city hanging in the balance, it’s up to you to rally the ruling council against Amascut.
In this quest, you’ll revisit the shifting tombs, uncover Menaphite lore, and delve into the long history of desert quests to build your case and confront Osman once and for all.
Complete the quest to unlock enhanced Menaphos rewards:
- Slayers will enjoy better odds of capturing slayer creature souls and more efficient Feathers of Ma’at.
- Skillers will earn increased XP while exploring the shifting tombs.
- Drop rates for Menaphos journal collection logs will also be buffed after completing the quest.
Prepare to return to the desert and uncover the truth!
Seasonal Event: Easter Blooming Burrow 2025
Get ready for some eggs-hilarating Easter fun as the Blooming Burrow returns on April 14th!
The Easter Bunny and his nephews have prepared a fresh batch of Egg Hunt clues to crack, along with new skilling activities featuring... carrot boats and bees?!
Alongside the festivities, we're also introducing a brand-new, permanent, duck-themed quest! Discover your inner quack as you explore the relaxing new area of Paddlington.
New Skilling Update: Augmented Runecrafting & Thieving
It’s been a while since we introduced new Invention tools, and that’s about to change.
This May, Doc at the Invention Guild will send you on a mission to uncover blueprints for brand-new main-hand skilling tools! Your journey will take you to Zanaris and the Elven lands, where you’ll learn how to craft augmentable tools that let you train Invention through Runecrafting and Thieving.
But that’s not all—you’ll also discover new components that can be used to create powerful new skilling perks for skills like Mining and Archaeology.
New Skilling Update: 110 Crafting
Next up in our 110 skilling updates is 110 Crafting, launching in June!
This update will build on our learnings so far, and deliver an update with a distinct identity within the skill - as well as the level bump to go with it.
With 110 Crafting, you'll finally be able to craft your own level 90 magic armour. Plus, we’re introducing a level 100 Masterwork magic armour for those looking to push their Crafting skills even further.
And of course, urns are getting an upgrade! Look forward to a new high-tier urn to boost your XP gains at top-level resources.
New Quest: Eclipse of the Heart
The Return to the Desert trilogy reaches its epic conclusion in Eclipse of the Heart, launching July 28th!
At the end of Beneath Scabaras’ Sands, Amascut issued an ultimatum: surrender the last light of Tumeken before the new moon, or Menaphos will fall into darkness. That moment has arrived—the eclipse has begun, and her army stands ready to strike.
To stop her, you must rally the four lesser gods, navigate ancient puzzle-filled tombs, and uncover the key to defeating the Goddess of Destruction once and for all. As the story unfolds, several returning characters will receive visual updates, including Amascut, who will regain her divine form—setting the stage for a climactic final showdown between you and the goddess herself.
The fate of Menaphos hangs in the balance—are you ready to face the eclipse?
New Combat Boss: Amascut, Goddess of Destruction
The battle you've been waiting for is coming—this Summer, you’ll face Amascut herself in an epic boss encounter!
As part of the Eclipse of the Heart quest finale, you’ll get an early taste of the battle against Amascut. But don’t get too comfortable—when the full boss battle releases, it’s going to be a different challenge.
If you’re thinking about taking on Amascut solo, you might want to reconsider—this epic new boss encounter is a group battle designed for up to five players, where coordination and teamwork will be key to victory.
Amascut’s encounter builds on years of boss battle evolution, the enrage systems of Telos and Zamorak, the distinct phasing of Vorago and Solak, and the smooth, intuitive combat of Sanctum of Rebirth. Expect clearer visual telegraphing, immersive mechanics, and new voiceovers to enhance the fight.
This battle will offer multiple difficulty modes. Normal Mode features safe deaths, allowing players to learn the fight without heavy penalties. Hard Mode turns up the challenge, where death is final but rewards are greater. And for those seeking the ultimate test, Challenge Mode will debut as a launch-exclusive experience, pushing even the most seasoned PvMers to their limits.
At launch, only Challenge Mode will be available. The first team to defeat Amascut will unlock all other difficulties for the entire community, making this a true test of skill and strategy. Be sure to mark your calendar for the World’s First showdown on Twitch, where the race to victory will unfold live. For those who conquer Amascut in Challenge Mode during launch, a rare, exclusive title will be awarded—forever marking their place in RuneScape history!
Let's be honest - bossing is much about the rewards as it is the fight itself. You can expect two brand-new T95 weapons, each with their own unique special attacks to add some extra flair to your arsenal. For the Necromancers out there, we’ve got a new Necromancy Siphon— designed to enhance your soul's build, giving you that extra edge in combat.
We’re also adding a new melee weapon with an extended attack range of two, offering more reach—perfect for those intense AOE situations. And for all the spellcasters, get ready for a new set of magic power armour, inspired by the robes of Amascut, to channel her destructive energy.
Game Health Updates
Alongside new content, we know you also want to see improvements to your experience with what exists in the game today too.
While we'll continue to prioritise bugs that matter most to you in our regular updates, we'll be focusing one month of our effort on Game Health updates. This provides us a greater opportunity to get to the issues that matter most to you, while also providing vital time that will enable us to deliver some of our biggest content ahead - like Leagues and Havenhythe.
Other Updates to Come
There's plenty more to come beyond the Summer as we build towards Leagues and Havenhythe ahead of us! Expect to hear more about these updates closer to the time.
- New Quest: With the Desert Finale coming to a close, it's time for us to venture into stories anew.
- Combat Update: The Combat Team are in the early stages of cooking up a Combat-centric update to serve you hungry PvMers out there
- 110 Thieving: Late this year, grab your lockpicks and prepare to get thieving with our latest 110 Skilling Update
- Seasonal Events: The Beach, Harvest Hollow and Christmas Village will all return - including new Seasonal Quests for Halloween and Christmas!
Before We Go...
New Skill: Now In Design
To close out our RuneScape Ahead, we’re thrilled to officially confirm that design is underway for RuneScape's next Skill!
This marks the beginning of an exciting new journey, and while we’re still in the early stages of a very long path ahead of us, we’re taking inspiration from the much-loved Archaeology and Necromancy skills to bring a new Skill to RuneScape.
This isn't about making an announcement, but an invitation to you. In the coming weeks, we'll be launching our 2025 Annual Player Survey to guide our future Roadmap plans and development focus. As part of that, you'll also have the opportunity to share some early feedback to inform the development of this new Skill. Like all our recent content, we want to involve your voice in our development as much as we can.
Well that's RuneScape Ahead, RuneFest 2025 edition! We have worked hard to establish approximate dates for each of these updates where possible. However, as with any live service game, unforeseen challenges may arise, which could impact scheduling. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to deliver the best possible experiences.
We hope the announcements today have you as excited about the future as we are - with epic moments in 2025 like Leagues, Amascut and the Desert Finale, followed by Havenhythe in 2026, and Vampyrium in 2027. And behind the scenes of all that great stuff, there's also a new Skill cooking up - ready to one day be revealed to the world. We cannot wait.
Thank you for being part of our community. Here's to the many brilliant years ahead of us!
- The RuneScape Team
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