Jagex: The RuneScape Company, have built one of the most enduring fantasy worlds in gaming: Gielinor. Known for its deep quest design, irreverent humour, surprising emotional weight, and a quiet sense that anything could be hiding around the next corner, RuneScape rewards curiosity, patience, and creativity.

Celebrating 25 years of RuneScape, the RS25 Future Talent Pathway is a mentorship and development programme aimed at supporting the next generation of game creators and storytellers. Launched to celebrate RuneScape's 25th anniversary, this initiative with our friends at Jagex was designed to do one simple thing: inspire the next generation to take their first steps into the world of game development.

"RuneScape couldn't exist without passionate people bringing fresh ideas. We're very excited to create more opportunity for career starts at Jagex and in the wider industry!" - Michaela Thompson, Director of Talent

The first stage of the program was delivered to an incredible response from young explorers, storytellers, and game makers across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. If you’d like to learn a little more about this phase then take a look at our previous blog post, RS25 Future Talent Pathway: The Next Generation of Game Makers! Now, we’re thrilled that the second stage has begun, with the RuneScape Future Talent Game Jam, Hosted by Into Games!

For this competition, college/university students (or recent graduates) should create a game experience that demonstrates how a short journey, a handful of characters, and a single mysterious object can feel epic, personal, and full of meaning.

“RuneScape turns 25 this year. And when you've been building something for that long, when millions of players around the world have grown up with your games... you start asking a very different kind of question. Not just what do you build next, but who do you build it with? RS25 is our answer to that. It's our biggest year of investment in our games, our technology, our player experience, but most importantly the people at the heart of our studio. It's a commitment that RuneScape and its worlds will continue to inspire and connect players for the next 25 years, just as they have for the last 25.” - James Dobrowski, Senior VP

There are some incredible prizes up for grabs for taking part - every member of the 1st Place team will receive an MSI Laptop, a PlayStation Plus Pass, and be invited to showcase their game at the Jagex offices later this year. Additionally, every member of the top 5 teams will win a PlayStation Plus Pass, and be invited to showcase their game at the Jagex offices later this year, as well as some RuneScape 25th Anniversary Merch!

So, if you’re a UK resident currently enrolled in, or have graduated from a UK college or University within the last 6 months, then get signed up to the game jam and start creating!