RuneScape developer Jagex hastily removed a trailer promoting one of the MMO’s upcoming quests after players clocked its egregious generative AI use, which the devs say came from a “trusted external partner” whose work was not adequately reviewed.

Dragon Slayer 2, the sequel to one of the most iconic quests in MMO history, is coming to RuneScape, several years after retro branch Old School RuneScape continued this decades-old arc. However, this news, shared at Jagex’s big RuneFest event over the weekend, was severely weakened by a trailer showing a knight with six fingers, steel-plated tennis shoes, and several other obvious AI tells.

In a post to the Old School RuneScape subreddit, Jagex moderator Sween says, “We’re aware of the concerns raised about the Dragon Slayer 2 trailer and have taken it down, while we investigate urgently.” The same post, clarifying “RuneScape’s Position on Gen AI,” was also posted by Mod Anvil in the mainline RuneScape subreddit.

In a January 2026 statement to GamesIndustry, Jagex product SVP James Dobrowski promised a “hard line stance” on AI within Jagex, assuring fans that “no generative AI will ever be present in any asset that a player can touch, hear or feel.”

Sween says this Dragon Slayer 2 trailer wasn’t made by Jagex. “This trailer was produced by a trusted external partner who had explicitly confirmed that GenAI would not be used. But, among other things, there’s a sixth finger and, well, that’s pretty hard to explain away. For that we apologise.”

Your guess is as good as mine as to how marketing materials for RuneScape’s biggest annual event were shipped without granular review.

Jagex’s statement reiterates the stance shared by Dobrowski: “Our position is clear at Jagex: we don’t use GenAI to create our games, artwork or creative assets, and will not knowingly allow it to be used on our behalf. This is the second time in quick succession that concerns about generative AI have arisen through partners we trusted, and for us that highlights an issue with our own processes which we must address.”

This seems to refer to another recent AI fiasco: esports giant 100 Thieves landed in hot water after an OSRS collaboration timed with RuneFest yielded ugly, AI-generated designs. “The design clearly had AI in it and we missed it,” 100 Thieves said on September 30.

After the 100 Thieves blowback, Mod Sween issued a separate statement, also on September 30. “We’re as angry as you are about this. We wouldn’t have approved the use of AI in any designs. We don’t use generative AI to replace the artists and developers who make our games, we don’t use it in our marketing materials, and we won’t use it in our merchandising or allow its use in partnerships,” he said.

This statement was brought up by players following RuneFest. In response, Sween says, “I didn’t knowingly lie, I feel awful, and I understand why you’d think the way you do. It’s crap.”

To prevent this from happening yet again, Jagex now says, “Immediately following RuneFest we’re overhauling our review processes, and we’re going to work with and commission creators from the community to make sure that the story of Dragon Slayer II is told to the standard befitting of such an update.”

It’s unclear when the Dragon Slayer 2 trailer will be reposted or in what form. This incident has cast doubt on other RuneScape news and trailers, with YouTube comments on the reveal for the Temple of Ah Za Rhoon also interrogating potential AI use.

Meanwhile, we’re getting a whole new RuneScape MMO. Dubbed RuneScape 4, Jagex’s next major release is being built in Unreal Engine.

Why so many game developers don’t want to use generative AI.