Jagex dismisses RuneScape workforce and halts Project Zanaris private servers for Old School RuneScape indefinitely, yet maintains the longevity of both MMOs remains intact.
Updated Article:
Jagex, the brainchild behind RuneScape and Old School RuneScape (OSRS), has seen some shake-ups recently. A series of layoffs within the company has led to some significant changes, particularly for the OSRS community.
The vast majority of these layoffs were in non-development and non-player-facing areas, as Jagex has decided to emphasize the growth of their RuneScape games and community. This restructuring means that Project Zanaris, a community-driven project for OSRS that allowed players to tweak, customize, or even break the game as they saw fit, has been put on hold indefinitely.
Mod Hooli, a Jagex representative, confirmed the layoffs, stating, "There have unfortunately been job reductions at Jagex... The majority of roles are from non-game dev and non-player facing areas."
Although Project Zanaris hasn't been officially axed, it's currently in a comatose state. Jagex explains that it won't meet expectations until much later in development. The fate of Project Zanaris may remain unclear, but Jagex plans to prioritize the things that matter most to players today.
With Project Zanaris on hold, much of the work already completed for the project will likely go untouched. However, the project's talent and technology will benefit OSRS in the long run. Here's how:
- Fresher, More Creative Events & Content: The Zanaris team had a treasure trove of new gameplay ideas and innovative concepts for events and features. Rather than shelving these, Jagex will explore introducing some of these ideas through temporary worlds, giving players unique experiences without impacting the core OSRS game.
- Improved Server Infrastructure: Jagex will leverage cloud server technology developed for Zanaris to enhance their existing game worlds, resulting in greater reliability during peak periods.
- Wider Region Support: The company is exploring opportunities to offer an improved service to regions outside their core locations (UK, US, Germany, Australia).
- More Engaging Customization: Zanaris' customization options will find their way into main OSRS worlds or special event servers, leading to more exciting time-limited events and experimental content.
- Strengthening the Roadmap: Members of the Zanaris team will actively contribute to key initiatives on the OSRS roadmap, supporting long-term development.
Mod Sarnie, an OSRS staff member, commented on the situation, acknowledging that while there was good work done on Zanaris, much of it will benefit OSRS moving forward.
In place of the custom, player-hosted worlds found in Project Zanaris, Jagex is exploring the prospect of delivering more community events. These events would be similar to existing Deadman Mode and League events, potentially serving as a trial ground for new content before it makes its way into the main game.
Players have been encouraged to submit their own ideas, with a new feedback forum available in the official OSRS Discord. As for the future of Project Zanaris, Mod Ayiza, another OSRS staff member, reassured that the decision to pause the project was unrelated to the layoffs.
With the recent release of RuneScape: Dragonwilds on Steam, it seems Jagex is focusing on new adventures while simultaneously finding ways to leverage the innovative spirit of Project Zanaris within the OSRS community.
- Jagex is repurposing the creative ideas from Project Zanaris, showcasing them as unique events or features in temporary worlds, ensuring the player experience remains diverse.
- The company is utilizing the cloud server technology developed for Project Zanaris to improve OSRS server reliability and maintain smooth gameplay during high-traffic periods.
- Jagex is expanding its service to regions beyond its usual core locations (UK, US, Germany, Australia) by leveraging the expertise gained from Project Zanaris.
- The OSRS community can expect more customization options, as those developed for Project Zanaris will gradually be integrated into main OSRS worlds or special event servers.
- Members of the Zanaris team are contributing actively to key OSRS roadmap initiatives, helping propel long-term development.
- Despite Project Zanaris being put on hold, Mod Ayiza, an OSRS staff member, has confirmed that it was an independent decision, unrelated to the recent layoffs at Jagex.
