Jagex Ltd

07/08/2026 | Press release | Archived content

PRESS RELEASEJul 8, 2026Introducing the New Face of RuneScape – the Player Avatar Update is Now Available

Introducing the New Face of RuneScape - the Player Avatar Update is Now Available
The Highly-Anticipated Update Introduces Modernized Avatar Face and Body Models, New Hairstyles, and Updated Base Clothing.

Monday, 8th June 2026, Cambridge, UK - Jagex, the RuneScape Company, is pleased to share that the Player Avatar update is now available in RuneScape. A key part of the year-long 'Road to Restoration' strategy launched in January at the start of the game's 25th anniversary year, this major update - highly-anticipated by the MMORPG's community - is the biggest visual overhaul to come to RuneScape in over a decade, and introduces a complete, modern refresh to the characters players have developed and skilled up.

The Player Avatar update introduces a more refined, high-fidelity avatar head and body model, as well as matching chatheads. Players will also discover new hair styles for both male and female characters and a modernized refresh to existing ones, as well as a full suite of starting game-based outfits and refined versions of the most commonly selected base items from Thessalia's shop. However, this is just the beginning, as a second part to the Avatar project will be available this autumn, with more details shared in the coming months.

RuneScape's Road to Restoration

Announced as part of January's RuneScape Ahead live stream, the Road to Restoration has seen key updates already delivered to RuneScape, UI tweaks and early game rebalancing, with more planned throughout the game's 25th anniversary year:

User Interface Tweaks: Completed at the end of January, RuneScape's UI has been refined to improve visibility, polish key menus and icons, and make it more intuitive to read and navigate.

Early Game Rebalancing: Released in mid-February, this update aimed to improve the first hours in the game, including skills rebalancing such as: Hunter, Thieving, Farming, and Herblore. A number of early quests, including Cook's Assistant and Sheep Shearer, have also been tweaked to improve player experience.

Combat Overhaul: Recently released in March of this year, RuneScape's three original combat styles of melee, ranged, and magic, received a refresh, making them more intuitive and easy to learn through experiential gameplay as players climb through the levels, and creates a simpler, but deeper, synergy between abilities.

DailyScape: March also saw the removal of much of the 'DailyScape' daily activities, which had been identified through community feedback as being chorelike, put pressure on players to login every day, and offered disproportionally higher rewards than the game's core content.

Visual Regrounding: Part of the goal of Road to Restoration is to create a consistent and cohesive visual identity across RuneScape. While the game will remain steeped in high fantasy built on a medieval foundation, this upcoming update aims to maintain immersion by removing items and cosmetics - including intrusive particle effects - which are thematically out of place (we're looking at you, Fury Shark Suit…)

For more information about RuneScape's Playar Avatar update, and other updates, please visit the official RuneScape website.

RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.

About Jagex

Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, is a leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower communities across PC and mobile. Our MMORPG franchise, RuneScape, is played around the world and has welcomed over 300 million player accounts.

As RuneScape enters its 25th year in 2026, we are accelerating our strategy to expand RuneScape into a broader ecosystem of forever games and connected experiences, grounded in a renewed commitment to integrity and fair play. This includes the reduction of monetisation mechanics, as well as the launch of RuneScape: Dragonwilds into Steam Early Access in 2025, representing a major step in building a multi-genre future for the RuneScape universe. Jagex: The RuneScape Company remains focused on building enduring worlds, empowering player-led innovation, and laying the foundations for the boldest era in RuneScape's history.



For more information, visit www.jagex.com.
Jagex Ltd published this content on July 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 29, 2026 at 17:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]