User blog comment:Rsc2001/The Future of RSC/@comment-5039500-20171202155311

FunOrb is also in this unmaintained mode, despite the overall popularity of games like Arcanists among a dedicated fanbase. RSC is most likely in a much worse situation, given it was developed by basically a couple of people using very "outdated" practices. Game design is a lot cheaper than trying to understand a massive alien proprietary legacy code base and environment when there's no one left to do the training.

MMG was interested in classic in 2008-2009, most likely after seeing the success of a certain private server around that time. It was overall similar to OSRS being inspired by a "2006-style" private server that received a lot of hype around 2012-2013. One employee in 2009 (Jack H) was trained in RSC engine development and tasked with some game engine updates - some which were successful, others not. Since this strategy has not been revisited perhaps it was deemed that it wasn't worthwhile.

We're way past 2009 now, and the overall strategy of Jagex has changed to be very much focused on eSports and micro-transactions, and RSC might not be seen as a good fit.

Anyway, regardless of how successful "yet another" re-launch would be, it will always be in the shadow of OSRS. I think you would have just as much luck getting CyberWars into the spotlight again - though perhaps that's not a good example, since Andrew Gower's expressed interest in re-creating it - but he never much liked RSC's combat system anyway, that's why RS2 exists. :-)