And so the crown passes from RuneQuest 6 to Mythras...

Here is the Design Mechanism's statement on the end of their 'RuneQuest' license and their transition to 'Mythras':

On Monday, our time as custodians of the RuneQuest license formally draws to a close. We've felt honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to work so closely with such an iconic brand, but all things change, and so we transition from RuneQuest to Mythras. We do, of course, wish our friends at Moon Design and Chaosium every success for the next edition of RQ and we look forward to seeing the results of the game returning to Glorantha. 

Our arrangement with Moon Design allows us 6 months to dispose of all remaining RQ6 stocks, and fortunately we only have a handful of the RQ6 hardbacks left in stock, so this won't be a major issue. We'll leave them on sale until we either exhaust stocks completely or the 6 months come to a close. All our supplements remain on sale and can do so for up to five years, although we are rebranding all our PDFs will be most likely rebrand the physical stock with the Mythras logo. 

As for Mythras itself, we will be releasing the game in hard copy and PDF most likely in mid-August. We want to ensure that the print process is well underway before opening for preorders - a slight change in our usual procedure. It means that people will get their copies quicker after making payment. It also means that we can release Mythras and Mythic Rome together (or very close together), alongside another product that been our Super Secret project, and will be given its own announcement in due course. We will release a preview of Mythras, so you can see the new layout (and if you have Imperative, you know what to expect already). One thing that we can tell you is that Mythras is 304 pages - a good 34% smaller than RQ6, but with no loss of content (in fact, we've added more). It will also be cheaper - probably around $40. For the new content you can expect: 

[Some new art pieces (courtesy of our friends at Runa Digital in Spain)
Reorganized and expanded Animism rules, including Special Effects for Spirit Combat
Additional Special Effects, including firearms SEs and a couple of brand new ones developed for Mythras. 

We're looking forward to getting this book out there.

Another piece of extremely good news is our partnership with Aeon Games Publishing. Aeon is based in the UK and is our fully licensed production and distribution partner for the UK and Europe. If you're outside North America you will be able to order all our books from Aeon Games Publishing directly, and receive them quicker and at much reduced shipping than from our US warehouse. As the company's CEO, Oliver Rathbone says: "Aeon Games Publishing is committed to new and innovative role playing games. Our team of dedicated gamers runs the gamut from old school to cutting edge. We are proud that our first publications combine the two in the Design Mechanism's Mythras Ruleset which takes the best of the classic Runequest rules and brings them into the forefront of modern gaming. Please see our website at www.aeongamespublishing.co.uk for more details and forthcoming publications." The website goes live early next week. 

So it's farewell to RuneQuest 6, but Well Met to Mythras. This is an exciting time in The Design Mechanism's evolution and we continue to be indebted to all our fans and customers for their support, encouragement and enthusiasm. 

Loz and Pete

I'm looking forward to checking out the new Mythras core book once it's available, and playing the game for the foreseeable future. But it'll feel strange not to refer to the game as 'RuneQuest', as I've been doing for almost six years now (ever since I started playing MRQII in the Young Kingdoms).