Old School RuneScape Roadmap Schedules Hardcore Worlds for November 4 and Menaphos for Spring 2027
A new raid is scheduled for October 20, followed by November's weekly quests and a 2027 slate of story, dungeon, and skilling updates.
Jagex has mapped out a year of Old School RuneScape updates, scheduling dedicated Hardcore worlds for November 4, 2026, and Menaphos’s opening for spring 2027. The roadmap also includes an October raid, a November run of weekly quests, and new story, dungeon, and skilling content through fall 2027.
October’s raid leads into Hardcore worlds
The first major date is October 20, 2026, when Fractured Archive is scheduled to introduce Old School RuneScape’s fourth endgame raid. It will include new best-in-slot rewards. Charles described it as the hardest raid the team has released, and said Jagex expects players to race for the first clear, though the developers do not yet know how long that challenge will take.
Hardcore worlds are scheduled to follow on November 4. These dedicated worlds will have their own economy, separate from the main game, and give each character one life. Death ends a character’s Hardcore run, but players can transfer a fallen character to the core game rather than lose access to it entirely.
That one-life rule will affect how players approach the new economy. Charles expects some items to be difficult to obtain, with players risking their characters to pursue them. The timing also gives players a chance to take on Fractured Archive under Hardcore rules soon after the raid opens.
November 2026 will also be Quest Month, with multiple quests planned for each week. Charles said the month will include more quests than Old School RuneScape has released in a single month before. These are planned as smaller stories spread through game progression, rather than large finales.
Menaphos headlines the 2027 plans
Early in 2027, The Chosen Commander will conclude the Cave Goblin storyline in Dorgesh-Kaan. The quest will revisit Zanik’s story in an Old School version, and the Dorgeshuun Gasworks will add skilling content for Firemaking and Crafting.
Spring 2027 will bring Dungeons of Gielinor, a mix of new dungeons and revisits to older ones, alongside quests, creatures, and encounters. The update is planned to add more bosses in one release than any previous update, while covering a range of difficulty. Its encounters will run from an early-game goblin fight similar to Brutus to gemstone dragons beneath Varlamore, culminating in a diamond dragon boss.
Menaphos is also scheduled to open in spring 2027. The desert city has been on the map for 20 years, but Old School RuneScape players have not been able to enter it. A new Master quest, Fool’s Gold, will allow players to go deeper into the city. Menaphos will also contain the game’s first skilling dungeon, which requires multiple skills, and access to the long-rumored True Soul Altar.
More skilling and story content follows
Mining and Smithing Reforged is planned for summer 2027. Jagex has heard repeated requests for changes to both skills, and Charles said the work will begin with a player survey and continue through community feedback. The stated goal is to make the warrior-and-blacksmith combination work better in practice, though the roadmap did not detail specific changes.
Fairytale III: Nexus of Power will conclude the fairy storyline as summer turns toward fall. Players will face the Fairy Godfather and his Ork mafia army. The update will also add the repeatable Nexus Guardian boss, more Runecrafting content in Zanaris, and fairy ring upgrades.
The Tower of Xophoros remains a teaser for the later roadmap, but Charles confirmed it will introduce a best-in-slot magic cape. It will join the Infernal Cape for melee and Dizana’s Quiver for ranged as the third part of that equipment set. A Diving expansion will also pair with Sailing to add about five or six locations players can reach by diving from their ship, along with a quest.
Which part of the roadmap are you most interested in, from the one-life worlds to Menaphos’s first skilling dungeon? For updates on the Hardcore launch and Menaphos plans, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
