UK studio Jagex, behind the venerable RuneScape franchise, have seen record profits reported for 2021. Their latest revenue report is £124.86m, a four percent increase from the previous year’s profits.
This marks the company's seventh successive year of growth with the credit laid squarely with RuneScape, Jagex’s flagship IP and a landmark game on its own merits. Jagex landed on our Top 50 Game Makers of 2021 list for that year, based on its performance throughout.
Since Jagex was acquired by The Carlyle Group in January of 2021 their focus has still remained squarely on RuneScape. Jagex CEO, Phil Mansell, said as much, “Thanks to the enduring popularity of the RuneScape franchise and the dedication of our player communities, we’ve been able to again grow revenues and reach the highest paying member count yet.”
Rune-Scaper Mobile
As many of a certain age will remember, RuneScape has been one of the most popular F2P (free-to-play) MMO’s for years. Originally a browser-based game, last year RuneScape finally made the jump to phones with RuneScape Mobile. Having hit 1.8m registrations pre release last year it’s safe to say that RuneScape is not banking solely on nostalgia to carry it forward, but is instead making the jump to an even more profitable platform in the form of the mobile market.
RPG games such as Raid Shadow Legends and Genshin Impact have been massive successes in the mobile market. RuneScape carries both name recognition and a loyal brand following from many people who’ve played it since it was simply a low-poly browser game. The enduring presence it has in internet pop culture is also an indicator as to its longevity in the public consciousness.
Mansell went on to say, “The focus on our players allowed us to consolidate and build on the growth from 2020, with creative content and innovative features to encourage our loyal gaming communities to engage for the long term. This growth is testament to our community-driven approach, delivered by such dedicated teams, and meant RuneScape’s 20th anniversary year was its most successful ever.”
Phil Mansell himself was also recently involved in Netspeak Games Series A investment round in September earlier this year.
