Why Skill 30 and Vampyrium were left out of the RuneFest 2026 preview
Jagex's October 2 explanation for focusing on RuneScape's foundations before its next skill and Vampyrium expansion.
What Jagex said before the Summit
On October 2, 2026, Jagex confirmed that the next RuneScape skill and Vampyrium would not be discussed at the following day's RuneScape Summit. Both remained planned, but the company's priorities had changed since the earlier announcements.
Improving the existing game first
Jagex wanted to improve RuneScape's foundations before adding something as large as another skill. That included making the game more appealing to people returning or trying it for the first time while continuing to look after existing players.
The company's 2025 experiments and the removal of Treasure Hunter had helped reshape the plans. For the new skill, Jagex said it wanted to take the time to get it right.
I had really enjoyed the Deep Clean update, and I thought the microtransaction changes were good for the long-term health of the game. I was glad to see that work getting attention before another enormous addition.
Havenhythe's story and a wider range of stories
Vampyrium is the vampyres' homeworld and had been announced as a future expansion following Havenhythe.
Jagex still wanted to continue Havenhythe's story in the future, while giving other characters, locations and parts of RuneScape's lore some attention. The aim was to avoid keeping the game in one storyline for too long.
What the Summit announced
The October 3 Summit announced Dragon Slayer II, Arposandra, a new Karamja raid, an Agility rework and more restoration work.