Jagex responds to use of generative AI in RuneScape trailer made by "trusted external partner"

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Jagex has removed a RuneScape 3 trailer for the Dragon Slayer 2 quest after players identified signs of generative AI, including a six-fingered hand and oddly rendered footwear. The trailer was shown during RuneFest, making the issue especially visible to the game’s core audience.

Jagex says the video came from a trusted external partner that explicitly confirmed GenAI would not be used. The studio says it is investigating how the material slipped through and that the incident exposed weaknesses in its own approval pipeline, not just in partner oversight.

The company has also tied this to a previous GenAI concern involving a collaboration with 100 Thieves, and says it is now overhauling review processes after RuneFest. Jagex says it will work with and commission community creators to ensure Dragon Slayer II is presented to the standard the update deserves.

For developers, the practical takeaway is less about one bad trailer and more about vendor management, asset review, and brand risk. Jagex is drawing a hard line between AI for internal tooling and AI in player-facing creative work, which is a useful distinction for teams deciding where to set policy and how to enforce it across partners.