Jagex has announced the elimination of an undisclosed number of positions unrelated to game development and player interaction as it discontinues Project Zanaris

Update, Thursday, June 5, 2025: Jagex informed GamesIndustry.biz that the recent layoffs are not linked to the halt of Project Zanaris. The company refrained from revealing the exact number of employees affected, citing the need to handle the matter with discretion. A restructured organization is anticipated by month's end.

"In our effort to enhance the player experience and expand the RuneScape community, we have suggested restructuring our operations," a representative from Jagex stated. These changes focus on reducing complexity and increasing agility, channeling our attention to what is crucial — our games, our players, and our future.

"Most proposed job reductions pertain to areas outside game development and direct player interaction, specifically in administrative and operational roles," Jagex noted. "We aim to preserve and bolster the teams that deliver direct value to our players.

"Acknowledging the challenges presented by these changes, we are dedicated to assisting all employees affected during this transition," concluded the statement.

Original story:

Jagex has temporarily ceased development on its RuneScape community servers venture, Zanaris, leading to unspecified job losses.

The studio did not directly address the layoffs in their announcement, focusing instead on the broader impact on the games and community. "The team behind this project has been reassigned within Jagex or transitioned to Old School RuneScape to assist with ongoing and new exciting projects," the statement indicated. However, players noticed missing mentions of key team members, such as lead designer Mod Jack and principal designer Mod Timbo, acknowledged by Eurogamer.

Subsequently, it was observed that Mod Timbo's X account, @jagextimbo, had been deactivated. A RuneScape subreddit mod confirmed job cuts had happened at Jagex, as part of a restructuring focusing more on expanding the RuneScape games and community.

Significant role eliminations were made in non-development and non-community sectors, with few exceptions arising within the RuneScape team due to a refined developmental approach. There was reassurance that there was no alteration in direction for RuneScape 3, and the commitment to its growth remains intact.

"What counts most now are those impacted by these changes," the moderator shared. "Our goal is to prioritize and support them as much as possible."

By the first five months of 2025, approximately 2200 developers have faced job cuts across various gaming companies including Freejam, Splash Damage, Piranha Games, Jar of Sparks, Ubisoft, ProbablyMonsters, and more, with multiple layoffs also reported at EA and People Can Fly.