Jagex is officially bringing the RuneScape franchise to consoles for the first time, with RuneScape: Dragonwilds set for release on the Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement, which surfaced during a recent Nintendo Direct, signals a significant change in strategy for the long-running developer.

A Shift in Console Strategy

For 25 years, Jagex maintained a stance that consoles were not the right home for their titles. During an interview with The Game Business, Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy admitted that this assumption had long been ingrained in the company culture. According to Bellamy, previous internal assessments suggested that a console transition would be technically difficult and lack sufficient upside.

Bellamy described the decision to bring Dragonwilds to consoles as the company's first genuine commitment to expanding its platform reach. He acknowledged that because the studio has no history on these platforms, the launch will be a challenging effort to get off the ground.

Player Demographics and Platform Focus

Despite the lack of previous console support, Jagex remains confident in the existing audience size. The studio's internal data suggests a massive potential player base across major consoles:

  • Nintendo Switch: Approximately 12 million historical players.
  • Xbox and PlayStation: Approximately 6 million historical players per platform.

Bellamy emphasized to platform holders that Jagex is not looking to build an audience from scratch. Instead, the strategy is to provide a platform for the millions of players who have already engaged with the RuneScape brand. By targeting the Switch 2, Jagex is focusing on what it considers its largest prospective console community.

The Path Forward

While the move to consoles is a departure from historical norms, the company has invested significant time and resources into the project. For players, this confirms that Dragonwilds represents a new, multi-platform approach for the franchise, transitioning away from the PC-exclusive nature that defined the studio for over two decades.