Embracing Its Legacy: Jagex's New CEO on Focusing Exclusively on RuneScape

In recent years, Jagex, the powerhouse behind RuneScape, has undergone significant transformations. Following its acquisition by CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments for approximately £900 million, the company welcomed Jon Bellamy as its new CEO, replacing Phil Mansell. Despite these changes, Bellamy is resolute in his focus on RuneScape, emphasizing that Jagex's primary strength lies in its ability to maintain and govern the RuneScape games and their communities. With both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape reaching a combined peak of 270,000 concurrent players, the franchise is in a healthy state. Bellamy's strategy involves not diverting from this core competency, believing that great companies excel by enhancing their existing strengths rather than exploring unfamiliar territories. His appointment, facilitated by CVC Capital, has raised questions about the potential for tighter ownership control. However, Bellamy views this as a positive, citing CVC and Haveli's deep understanding of Jagex and the value of the RuneScape IP. The recent launch of RuneScape: Dragonwilds, which has surpassed initial expectations with over 900,000 units sold, demonstrates Jagex's capacity for growth within its focused strategy. Bellamy aims to further invest in Dragonwilds, expanding its scope and planning for its release on consoles in late 2026. Recognizing past failures in diversifying beyond RuneScape, such as the short-lived Chronicle, Bellamy seeks to maintain a disciplined approach, allowing for organic development of new ideas through initiatives like game jams. A key challenge Bellamy faces is addressing the contentious issue of monetization in RuneScape 3, which has led to player loss due to poorly implemented microtransactions. Jagex has begun experiments to inform its future monetization strategy, with a commitment to involving the community in the decision-making process, a approach that has been successful with Old School RuneScape. The goal is to restore integrity to the game, not just in terms of monetization but also in visual and gameplay aspects. Bellamy aims to provide clarity on the monetization proposal by the end of the year. The company also faced criticism for its handling of Pride in RuneScape, with accusations of rolling back support. Bellamy stands by his decision, made to protect the game's future, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the game's apolitical nature to ensure continuity and player escapism. Looking forward, Bellamy is optimistic, envisioning a future with three stable RuneScape products that are sustainable and growing, alongside a broader interpretation of the RuneScape IP.