Runescape creator announces new MMO Brighter Shores after 10 years in development

Legendary Game Designer Andrew Gower, the creator of Runescape, has announced that a new free-to-play MMORPG Brighter Shores is set to release later this year.

Gower created the ever-popular Runescape all the way back in 2001 with his brother Paul. This new venture has supposedly been a long time coming, according to Fen Research, with the game supposedly in active development for a decade.

The whole thing has been built inside a proprietary technology known as the Fenforge Engine. Though they haven’t specified what makes the engine unique, the game’s design images clearly show the influence of Gower’s previous work.

Fen Research

Brighter Shores eschews some genre staples

The team behind the game has taken some interesting steps to separate the fledgling MMO from an oversaturated crowd. The three classes sound a little different from the usual fare, with players able to choose between Cryoknight, Hammermage, and Guardian.

It seems that a significant priority has also been placed on reducing the grind often found in MMOs. Additionally, and very much in keeping with Gower’s Runescape pedigree, players will have many professions to choose from.

Visually the game looks great and fairly unique in the space. Brighter Shores has what the developer is describing as a “diorama” art style and the TTRPG influences are clear. It’s not going to be anything like WoW or ESO, but it may be all the better for it.

Gower himself said: “Creating this game has been a real labor of love. At times it has felt like an insurmountably ambitious task, so it’s amazing to finally see it coming together in the way I hoped. I can’t wait to see the world full of players enjoying what we have created.“

The game is set for a full release later this year, following a free-to-play model on both Mac and PC.