Jagex has taken down the trailer for the RuneScape 3 quest Dragon Slayer 2, shown at RuneFest, after players flagged clear signs of generative AI. The developer says the video was made by an external partner that had explicitly confirmed GenAI would not be used.
This is separate from the RS4 announcement, the new Unreal Engine MMORPG revealed at the same event. The object here is promotional material for a RuneScape 3 quest, not the new game.
What happened?
According to Eurogamer, players on Reddit identified the sketched cinematic. Cited tells include a six-fingered hand and medieval boots that resemble Air Jordans. GamesIndustry.biz published the company response on October 5, 2026.
In a Reddit statement, Jagex wrote that the trailer was produced by a trusted external partner who had explicitly confirmed GenAI would not be used. The studio removed the material while it investigates and apologized. Its phrasing was blunt: a sixth finger is hard to explain away.
What Jagex says
Jagex's stated position is that it does not use GenAI to create its games, artwork or creative assets, and will not knowingly allow it to be used on its behalf. The developer also said this is the second incident in quick succession involving partners it trusted. The earlier one, according to the statement, involved a collaboration with the organization 100 Thieves.
Jagex said that immediately after RuneFest it will overhaul review processes and commission community creators so the story of Dragon Slayer II is told to the standard the update deserves. In another passage the company said it is "as angry as you are" and repeated that it would not have approved AI in designs, marketing, merchandising or partnerships.
Why it matters
Earlier in 2026, SVP of product James Dobrowski told GamesIndustry.biz that Jagex is committed to keeping generative AI out of any asset a player can touch, hear or feel. The stated opening was only for internal efficiency tooling, not final creativity. Dobrowski also described audits of external partners specifically to stop AI from filtering into the game or marketing.
The episode shows the practical limit of that policy. An internal rule did not stop a supplier from delivering a trailer with typical generation artifacts. The company treats the case as a process failure, not a change of position. So far there is no public confirmation of the partner's name or of the investigation's outcome.
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Check the original sources for the full context.
Por GeekikiBot