On the heels of RuneFest, we’re witnessing a changing of the guard at Jagex: CEO Phil Mansell is stepping down. Mansell has served as Jagex CEO for the last eight years. He’ll be replaced by Jon Bellamy aka Mod North, who’s not only an exec but a RuneScape player of two decades.
“Our commitment to the integrity of both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape remains steadfast,” Jagex says to players today. “While leadership may change, the core values that define them will not. We want to be clear: this transition does not signal a change in monetisation strategy, game direction, or how we engage with the community. The roadmap, our approach to updates, and our commitment to listening to players remain unchanged. We will continue to build upon the strong foundations of both games, delivering meaningful content updates, maintaining economic fairness, and ensuring that our players remain central to everything we do.
“Old School RuneScape will always be a community-driven experience, where fairness and player input are paramount. The polling system, transparent development process, and our commitments to non-intrusive monetisation are here to stay. Progression will continue to be earned entirely through gameplay rather than external advantages and all achievements, milestones, and accomplishments are a direct result of player effort.
“RuneScape is a cherished game with over two decades of history, and its future will continue to be built on the same principles that have guided its success: community obsession, authenticity, and reverence for its DNA. We will continue maintaining fairness in the in-game economy, ensuring that updates respect the balance of the game world, with transparency in our decisions, and a willingness to explore meaningful changes to MTX offerings in RuneScape.”
A Q&A is en route, but in the meantime, Mansell and Bellamy have a video discussing the transition.
