OSRS Mid-2026 Review: What Jagex Shipped, What Got Delayed, What's Coming Next

We're halfway through 2026. If you've been following the Old School RuneScape roadmap, you've seen the blog posts, poll results, and developer updates. But there's a difference between what Jagex promised and what actually shipped.

This is a no-hype, no-press-release mid-year report card. Just what's live, what's delayed, and what you should actually expect for the rest of 2026.

The Scorecard So Far

Three delivered. Three delayed. Let's break down what actually matters.

✅ What's Actually Live (and Whether It's Worth Your Time)

1. Sailing — A Legit Core Update

Sailing is OSRS's first new skill in over 20 years. That's not hype — it's fact. The key point: it actually launched, and it launched in Q2 2026 as promised.

Is it perfect? No. The skill is still figuring out its optimal loops — early training methods are a bit repetitive, and endgame content (ship PvP, high-level voyages) is still being tuned. But the foundation is solid:

• Combat integration: Sailing isn't a standalone skill — it unlocks new boss access, new resource nodes, and new quest areas.
• Members-only distinction: Sailing is members-only, won't affect F2P, but gives members a meaningful new progression path.
• Economy impact: Early data shows Sailing training is expensive (similar to Construction), but money-making methods (high-level voyages, rare drops) are already competitive with top GP/hour methods.

Bottom line: Sailing launched on time and it's good. Not perfect, but good. If you haven't started training yet, check OSRS Guru for the complete Sailing guide with current optimal routes.

2. Vault of Ralos — A Solid Raid, Not a Game-Changer

Vault of Ralos went live on April 10, 2026. It's the first new raid OSRS has gotten since Chambers of Xeric in 2017. That alone makes it significant.

The raid itself is well-designed: multi-path layout, varied mechanics, and worthwhile drops (new armor tier, unique weapons). But there are some issues:

• High barrier to entry: You need 80+ in multiple combat stats, completion of Dragon Slayer II, and the new Mysteries questline finale — casuals are locked out.
• Drop inflation concerns: Unique drops are valuable (5M-20M GP), which is great for raiders but has some players worried about GP inflation.
• Steep learning curve: Unlike CoX, which eases players in, Vault of Ralos expects you to handle complex mechanics from the first room. Expect deaths.

Worth doing? Yes — if your stats are there and you have a team. OSRS Guru's Vault of Ralos strategy guide breaks down every room and mechanic.

⚠️ What's Delayed (and Why It Matters)

Blood Moon Rising — The Never-Ending Questline

Blood Moon Rising is the finale of the Mysteries questline. It was promised for Q2 2026. It's now pushed to Q3 with no firm date.

Why this delay matters: Blood Moon Rising isn't just a quest. It:

• Unlocks the endgame areas needed for Vault of Ralos raid access
• Concludes a questline that started in 2014
• Unlocks new teleport destinations and resource nodes

If you're waiting on the quest finale to unlock late-game content, you're looking at at least Q3. Jagex hasn't explained the delay in detail — just a vague mention of "finale sequence needing additional polish" in the mid-year update post.

Frustrating, but not surprising. Quest finales are where Jagex scope creep hits hardest.

Leagues VI — Radio Silence

Leagues VI was supposed to get a teaser in Q2. It's now late June. Nothing.

The community is anxious. Leagues V (Twisted League) was massive — player counts hit all-time highs. Everyone's expecting Leagues VI to deliver the same energy. But with no details, players can't plan their accounts, and content creators can't prep.

Jagex's silence could mean three things:

1. It's bigger than expected and they're still adjusting scope (good)
2. It's delayed and they don't want to announce the delay (bad)
3. They're reworking the Leagues format and want to get it right (unclear)

Either way — if you're building an account, don't pre-optimize for Leagues until Jagex actually announces details.

🔶 What's Still In Progress

Wilderness Refresh — Slow, but Moving

The Wilderness Refresh was announced with a lot of fanfare — PvP balance changes, new Wilderness content, and mechanics to encourage players to actually enter the Wilderness without getting instantly PK'd.

What's live so far:

• Minor PvP weapon balance tweaks (positive)
• One new Wilderness boss (Revenant Caves changes, mixed reception)
• Loot table adjustments for existing Wilderness content

What's not live:

• The promised "relatively safe" Wilderness resource content
• Major anti-PK mechanics changes
• New Wilderness quest content

If you're a PvP player, you've probably noticed the Wilderness is still the Wilderness: dangerous, unforgiving, and mostly devoid of casuals. The refresh is happening, just slowly.

🔮 2026 Second Half Predictions (Realistic Expectations)

Based on Jagex's delivery pace so far this year, here's what I actually expect for Q3-Q4 2026:

Q3 2026 (July-September)

• Blood Moon Rising quest finale — Will ship. Likely August. Jagex knows this is the community's top priority.
• Sailing Phase 2 — Ship customization, cosmetics, and high-level content. Was mentioned in the Sailing launch dev blog.
• One surprise update — Jagex usually drops one un-teased update in summer. Last year it was the Giant's Foundry rework. This year? Pure speculation, but a Farming or Herblore skill rework would fit their update pattern.

Q4 2026 (October-December)

• Leagues VI announcement + launch — If it doesn't launch in Q4, the player sentiment will turn. Jagex knows this. Expect announcement in September, launch in November.
• New boss (rumored) — Dataminers have found references to a "Desert Phoenix" boss. Take with a grain of salt, but if it ships, it'll be Q4.
• Winter event + QoL drop — Standard Christmas event plus a batch of quality-of-life updates, same as every year.

The Honest Verdict

If you'd asked me in January 2026 whether this would be a big year for OSRS, I'd have said yes. Mid-year answer: yes, with caveats.

• Sailing shipped — and it's a real skill, not a gimmick. That alone makes 2026 a success.
• Vault of Ralos shipped — and it's a competent raid. Not top-tier, but solid.
• Delays are normal — Blood Moon Rising pushing to Q3 is annoying, not a disaster.
• The biggest question mark is Leagues VI. If that delivers, 2026 is a top-tier year for OSRS. If it doesn't, the year feels front-loaded.

What You Should Do Now

If you want to be ready for the second half of 2026:

1. Start training Sailing now — don't wait. Early levels are a grind, but the unlocks are worth it.
2. Finish the Mysteries questline (except the finale) — get all the prerequisites done so you can play Blood Moon Rising the day it drops.
3. Build a raid-ready account — 80+ combat stats, Barrows gear or better, and raid mechanics knowledge. Vault of Ralos drops are too good to miss.
4. Don't over-prep for Leagues — don't waste time optimizing your account until Jagex announces Leagues VI details.

For detailed training routes, boss guides, and the optimal Sailing pathing, check out the OSRS Guru 2026 guide hub: https://osrsguru.com/guides/osrs-2026-roadmap.html

Cover image source: Jagex Ltd. Old School RuneScape is a trademark of Jagex Ltd. This is fan-created content, not affiliated with Jagex.

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