It's hard to deny the growing popularity of user-generated content tools in online gaming and Jagex is adding a new option for players to customize their own gaming experience with RuneScape's new expansion, Clan Citadels. The headline feature of the new expansion is clan battlefields, which will allow players to create their own content with a Battleground Editor in a new sandbox environment.

Clan leaders will also be able to choose from one of four Citadels, which not only include the clan battlefield feature, but also portal grounds, meeting rooms, senate and party rooms as well. The Clan Citadels expansion is scheduled to launch on July 26th, 2011.

Check out the official press release after the break and new Clan Citadels dev blog for more expansion details.

RUNESCAPE TO LAUNCH HISTORIC CLAN CITADELS EXPANSION

DESIGN A FLOATING CITADEL – CREATE YOUR BATTLEFIELD – WAGE WAR AGAISNT YOUR ENEMIES

Thursday 7th July 2011, Cambridge, UK - Jagex Games Studio today unveils the first details of the Clan Citadels expansion which launches in RuneScape on July 26. The expansion will fill RuneScape’s horizon with floating castles to offer in-game clans new, unique and fully customizable gameplay experiences.

The centrepiece of the expansion is the clan battlefields, a unique sandbox environment allowing clans to generate their own user-generated gameplay for the first time within RuneScape. Clans will have access to a full-blown Battleground Editor equipping them with all the tools needed to create and develop their own multiplayer games. Clans can create any gameplay they wish; ranging from simple capture the flag style games to full clan versus clan battles. Once created, clan members can save their games and even invite others to compete in their creation.

The Clan Citadels expansion breaks the mould for group gaming in MMO’s and will be open to all RuneScape members. Once signed up, clan leaders can select one of four Citadel layouts and propel their citadel into glorious sunshine or perpetual night. In addition to the clan battlefield, each citadel comes complete with portal grounds, meeting rooms, senates and party rooms. Players will have free reign to customise their castles and add banners and flags flying the colours of their clan.

The Clan Citadels is in place to support the vast number of clans now created within RuneScape and offers new and innovative functionality to those who enjoying playing in this group way. Clan Citadels will be able to offer MMO gamers a more fulfilling multiplayer experience than they may currently enjoy. With Clan Citadel’s unique mechanics, features and user-generated battle arenas, RuneScape will welcome all new players who seek more compelling clan gaming to come and see it for themselves.

Daniel Clough, VP of RuneScape, commented, “For over a decade RuneScape has pioneered MMO development and the launch of Clan Citadels will once again prove RuneScape’s commitment to creating truly unique and innovative content. Since our last clan update in April we have seen more than 1 million RuneScape players sign up to one of the 150,000+ in-game clans, so we felt it an important move to give them all something of this scale to support their clans and we know that they will be hugely looking forward to it. This update has been designed to make RuneScape’s clan support the envy of MMO world. We know that the functionality and gameplay on offer will appeal to clans from other MMO’s who long for better group play experiences and we warmly invite new clans to check out the update and judge for themselves just what RuneScape has to offer.”

Clan citadels will be released to RuneScape on 26 July 2011. To create your free account and prepare for the launch, visit www.RuneScape.com today.

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About RuneScape

RuneScape is the world’s most popular free-to-play MMO (as recognised by Guinness World Records), from multiple award-winning independent British development studio Jagex. Set in a richly detailed, medieval fantasy world, RuneScape proudly draws its inspiration from classic role-playing games. RuneScape delivers a contemporary, innovative and original experience for millions of players across the globe every day. RuneScape offers a fully featured free-to-play game, with a popular subscription option of even greater scale and ambition, both running directly within almost any computer’s browser.

Thanks to its character-class-free skill system and elective gameplay, there are no limits to the hero players can become, no quest you cannot complete and no requirement to collaborate with others or face them in player-versus-player combat unless you so choose.  RuneScape’s distinctive role-playing style rewards players who think strategically and play smartly. Its witty, intelligent tone, finely balanced gameplay, epic questing and myriad in-world diversions combine to create a game that has earned its place as the most popular free-to-play massively multiplayer online game of all time and continues to push the boundaries of online role-playing as it enters its glorious tenth year.

About Jagex – Just About the Game Experience:

Jagex Games Studio is a multi-award winning games developer and publisher based in Cambridge, England. Jagex specialises in the development of high quality browser-based games and is the largest independent games developer and publisher in the UK.

Jagex has developed and self-published over 40 online titles, including the world's most popular free multiplayer online game, RuneScape.com. In addition to RuneScape, Jagex self-publishes games on its games portal Jagex.com, and has released a series of successful iPhone games. Jagex also acts as a third-party publisher for likeminded developers, publishing titles such as the Herotopia, War of Legends, and the iPhone title Undercroft. The studio’s in-house team is currently developing a number of games including 8Realms, which is currently in closed beta, and two new MMO’s, Stellar Dawn and TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE.