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Gielinor Gazette - January 2022



Well that’s January done – everyone is back from their holiday break, and hopefully well rested, recharged and sticking to those resolutions for 2022! In RuneScape, the year has already kicked off with a bang in the form of Nex and more recently the launch of Leagues III: Shattered Relics. But this is just the beginning. We've got a lot more to come in the months ahead – so let’s have a sneak peek!

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[h2]Project Status Update[/h2]




[h3]Released Content[/h3]


Leagues III: Shattered Relics

For just over a week now you’ve been busy unlocking, spending and working your way through the list of tasks for Leagues III, all under the watchful eye of The Sage. To keep you on track, this week's game update included a bunch of fixes, tweaks and changes, including reducing the prices of the skills and bosses you can buy with Sage's Renown! Keep up to date with all the new adjustments by checking out yesterday's newspost.




Nex

Honestly, we've been a bit blown away by how many of you are willing to take on The Fifth General in all her monstrous might! Now, with Leagues III up and running there's no better time to give her a go, so why not head down to the God Wars Dungeon and show her what you’re made of? And of course, we'll be keeping an eye on how our terrifying Nihil is doing – your feedback has been invaluable so far and we'd love to hear any further ideas you have for her.


Group Ironman

We recently polled plans for the future of Group Ironman, and we're happy to announce that all our suggestions passed! You can now look forward to shared storage improvements, using Player-Owned Houses when the owner isn't home (and even redirecting the House Teleport to group members’ houses) and an expanded list of tradeable items. Plus, for you Hardcores, the Emergency Teleport Shards will provide an exit out of areas that are newly dangerous for you lot, but which don't already possess a teleportation method. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, eh?

Stay tuned for more information soon!


New Client Features

First off, huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Android Beta at the end of last year. We’ve been addressing your feedback and bashing those bugs, all in preparation for an Open Beta in the near future.

Once that happens, the different versions of the client will become something we see as ‘always on’, and any new features we release will be made available across all platforms.

Right now we’re wrapping up the Mobile changes and gearing up for the next batch of features – this time shifting our focus to Clue Scrolls!


[h3]Upcoming Content[/h3]


Land of the Goblins



Land of the Goblins, the penultimate quest in the Dorgeshuun questline, is almost ready to go! You’ll be able to experience Zanik’s latest adventure from February 9th. More details can be found here.



As an extra teaser take a look at one of the new tracks featured with our newest quest: Catacombs and Tombs.


Guardians of the Rift

Formerly known as Guardians of Gielinor, this past ideation pitch is finally coming to fruition – a brand new minigame to train Runecraft, scheduled for March! It’s a fresh method for building up that infamously slow skill, which should offer better rewards for players who like making loads of quick decisions.

It also features a new involving wizard, portals, fearsome Abyssal Creatures and of course, Runes, glorious Runes!

Find out all the details here.




Beneath Cursed Sands

Looking ahead to spring, Beneath Cursed Sands is the next quest in the Desert storyline, and it’s due to arrive this April. Completion of this quest will be a requirement to access the Tombs of Amascut Raid coming later in the year, so this is one to keep an eye on.

Development on the quest is well underway, and today we’re excited to share our first in-game images

















We'd love to hear your feedback on the above images. In particular, we're keen to get your thoughts on the new model and chathead for Maisa as we know we haven't always got these kinds of changes right. On that note, you might be wondering why we're even updating Maisa at all. We've chosen to do this as Maisa's current model from the Contact! quest is not very fitting in multiple ways. It's inconsistent with the tone of the storyline, Maisa's backstory and the thematics of the areas she's found in.


Tombs of Amascut

Old School’s third raid is coming later this year, and the team are hard at work on deadly but exciting new challenges for you to face! But don’t worry, there’ll be lots of lovely rewards for your troubles. We’re rustling up a revised rewards blog, and we’ll be sharing that with you very soon, so keep ‘em peeled.


Wilderness Changes

We know some of you have been waiting patiently for the next changes to the Wilderness and – hooray! - we've got a couple of things just around the corner for you.

The Revenant Demi-Boss will make its debut in next week's update, giving you something extra to get on with inside the Caves. This scary creature will appear in a random location and can be attacked by multiple players at once.

Not only will you score some sweet loot, but the players who deal the most damage will bag themselves a buff that will help them with the other inhabitants of the Revenant Caves - a 15% increase to damage and accuracy against Revenants for 30 minutes! Hopping worlds will decrease the timer by one minute. In addition, only players wearing the Amulet of Avarice can receive the buff, and if you kill a player with the it, it will be transferred to you, unless you already have it activated. To be 100% clear, you also need an Amulet of Avarice equipped to receive the buff via PKing.

We’ll also be adding Abyssal Demons, Dust Devils, Jellies and Nechryaels for Wilderness Slayer Tasks, reductions in the number of kills required for said tasks, and the chance to hit a new loot table when tackling creatures in the cave. Happy slaying!


Deadman Re-Run

Last time we updated you on the Deadman: Reborn re-run, we were aiming for a January Beta, with the full re-run to follow shortly after.

Work on our anti-DDoS protection has been impacted due to the recent vulnerabilities with Java and exploits with Log4j. The team had to be moved to prioritise this work and ensure our players remained safe.

Working on the solution for anti-DDoS protection will be resumed as a priority and we hope to share more info with you soon.

We're committed to re-running the event, but as we mentioned previously whilst we're confident in our solution, there is still a chance that unexpected problems will crop up - and of course, they'll need fixing before we can officially re-run the finals.

We appreciate that you've all been waiting patiently for some time already, but we feel it's vital for you to have confidence in our ability to deliver a smooth event, free from issues before we fully commit to a re-run.


Poll 76

We know it's been a while since our last big poll, but we're nearly ready to share the next one with you! This time will be talking about Clues, Pets, Combat Achievements, Clans and lots more. We'll be sharing more details in an upcoming newspost.


Mobile Client Beta

We touched on this earlier, but you can expect an Open Beta for the new features on mobile very soon. Again, we’d like to thank everyone who participated in the Android Beta – your feedback has been invaluable as we work to bring these features to everyone!

We’ll be able to share more about the Open Beta next month.

Don’t worry iOS users, we haven’t forgotten about you! Although we’ve had some delays, we hope to have a similar process to the Android Beta up and running for you shortly.

Speaking of Apple products, Mac users will be excited to hear that we’ve been working on bringing Old School RuneScape to you, too. Expect more news about that soon!

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[h2]Ideation Update[/h2]

by Mod Nin & Tide

As revealed in our last Gazette , our ideation process is taking on an exciting new form this year. However, we still have plenty of ideas from last year to talk about, so here's Mods Nin and Tide with some updates on a few of their ideas:


Marsh Island

Ahoy, Me Hearties! I have some interesting booty to share with you – an ideation pitch that would branch off the pirate storyline to explore the dark past of one of the brothers!

Why the pirate storyline? It’s unfinished business! Also, I wanted to do something a bit different and expand the world, with the addition of Marsh Island. It’s home to the followers of Saradomin, but an ancient evil has started to rear its head – the Necromancers, followers of an Ancient god.

Your task on the island would be to help the remaining followers of Saradomin remove the Necromancers and restore the town. Along the way, you’ll uncover a few secrets, and at the end of the quest you’ll get a new weapon with a twist of its own.

The weapon has three slots for Charms. You would gain one from completing the quest and the rest by exploring and completing tasks on the island. These charms would have a range of benefits, from helping out with your island activities to combat buffs versus the undead!


Canoe Expansion

Because are other rivers, not just the fancy-schmancy River Lum! The River Dougne would be the next river to get canoes, Gielinor’s coolest mode of transport. The stations would be as follows:
  • Castle Wars
  • Tree Gnome Village
  • Ardougne
  • Just south of Baxtorian Falls, south of the house

This quality of life change would allow you take a scenic route through the west side of the continent, making travelling that little bit easier.


The Corrupted Rat

Our story begins on a normal day in Varrock Castle. A guard was making his rounds when he spotted a suspicious masked figure – he ran towards them, only for them to teleport away, leaving nothing but a green stone. Thinking nothing of it, he threw the stone in a nearby drain and went about his duties.

Years later, the stone’s power has leaked into the waters of Varrock Sewers and the rats there have started to mutate. One in particular is proving troublesome! King Roald has ordered his guards to put a stop to this weirdness, but it’s a bit much for them to handle. Can you help defeat the beast?

The Corrupted Rat would be a free-to-play boss which can be killed for a new poison weapon.


Musical Instruments

The wandering bard Amadea is down on her luck, out of inspiration, and unable to fix her broken lyre. In exchange for your help, she might just give you a lesson or two – featuring a fun 100 bpm rhythm-based minigame!

Once sufficiently inspired, Amadea will decide to settle down and open up a music shop. Should you find any musical instruments on your journey – a drum like object in the depths of Mor Ul Rek, perhaps, or panpipes crafted by the fairies of Zanaris – she’ll help you add them to your collection!

Equipping an instrument lets you play music that can be heard by those around you – and it’s not limited to the usual 100-bpm rate! You’ll be able to play, and be heard, in real time using your computer’s keyboard. Yes, we can do that! Imagine busking at the Grand Exchange, playing for a dance in your Clan Hall, or performing a dirge in the Lumbridge Castle Grounds to really rub it in when someone dies.

This was originally ideated as a fun new social activity that both members and free-to-play players could enjoy. You might have seen the Bard skill pitch from GentleTractor, Caveman Only, and ScreteMonge, which takes the idea of playing music to the next level. What do you think?

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[h2]Postbag from the Hedge[/h2]

New Year, New Postbag! This year my resolution is to deliver even more of your lovely letters, in rain, heat, snow, or gloom of night! It shouldn't be too hard, since most of Gielinor doesn't have weather. Ha ha!

Anyway, let's take a look at this month's post!


To the Messenger

To the extremely persistent Messenger,

I know you're scared of your employer, but trying to pass that letter to me at the bottom of the ocean seems a bit much. Have you thought about a less hazardous use of your talents? Maybe delivering Gnomish cuisine?

Signed, a slightly concerned adventurer


What on Gielinor is this?!

I was just minding my own business and this blooming talking skull popped out of nowhere and handed me a letter! What if I'd been in the bath or something?

Hmm.

In hindsight I may have been a bit overzealous. But you have to understand, the sender of that letter was not to be trifled with! I'm just glad the whole ordeal is over.

I'm not sure what I'll do now, although your friend Pete here says the GPDT are always looking for talented delivery people. Maybe I'll give that a go!

Thanks for the tip,

The Messenger

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To a Nechryael

To a Nechryael

Hey Mr Nechryael, I gotta question for you. Are you in any way related to the Mahjarrat? I've met a couple Mahjarrat in some ancient ruins in the desert and they kinda look similar to you (although I must say you look much more muscular than they did, do you work out?).

Sincerely,

TheWiseLoner


Dear TheWiseLoner,

What are you on about? I met a couple of Mahjarrat in the bad old days and they looked absolutely nothing like me! You ought to get your eyes checked. Thanks for the compliment though - we exercise when we can, but it's a bit difficult in this old place. We tried organising a fun run once, but it upset the crawling hands.

Until next time,

Mr Nechryael

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To My Arm

To My Arm,

How are your farming adventures going? It only felt like yesterday when I was watching you pick your very first Gout Tuber.

Maybe we can go on another adventure together sometime soon?

Sincerely, your strangely-named human friend


Hey Friend!

Goutweed growin' very nicely here in Weiss! Lots of tasty tubers. An' that's not only thin' growin' around here! Snowflake an' My Arm 'ave been plantin' some seeds of our own, an' we're proud to announce dat a new friend is on der way! My Arm can already hear the STOMP STOMP of little feet... even though we didn't use no seed dibber!

Hope you come and meet der little one soon. Maybe we name dem after you!

All der best

Your friend

My Arm (an' Snowflake)

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To Pontak

Dear Pontak,

Fifteen years ago, on the 29th of Septober in the 168th Year of the Fifth Age, I wrote you to give an update in my quest for Zamorak's teddy bear, Saradomin's wig, a left-handed chisel, cheese from the moon, and a dodo egg.

First, I'd like to apologize for my language; I was but a mere child at the time. In the many years passed, I've since completed the trials once over again, and even slain the mighty Jormungand, and am now known as Thorkar Dräpare. It's safe to say I have grown substantially over these years. To that end, I'd like to make amends and extend my hand for a truce. What say you?

Secondly, I wanted to give you an update. I've since located the Mage Gower's skull; you'll be interested to know that he actually still possesses it. I pen this note from inside my sleeping bag, which I use often. I had Guthix's climbing boots, but sold them many years ago after their street price skyrocketed. And, recently, I traveled to Zanaris and was able to craft a delicious cheese from the many cows that inhabit that realm. So, I have now retrieved that item as well. However, despite my many efforts, I have yet to locate the dodo egg. However, rest assured: my quest continues to this day.

I hope this finds you well, and I do sincerely wish you all the best.

aragornjack1


Ha! Hello, Thorkar, formerly known as Thorlor.

I remember your letter well! It was this one, wasn't it?

Dear Pontak,

Why do you hate all outlanders? You are mean. And by the way, I bought Zamoraks Teddy Bear, but i got rid of it. It tried to attack me. You wouldnt want one of those. And I have the left handed chisel. All regular chisels are left handed. And Saradomin's wig belongs to Veleornia. She's actually a boy who is bald. She went to the makeover mage, and he forgot to give her hair. Oh and one more thing, Im level 57 and im soooo much stronger than you. I only need to kill Koschei the Deathless and then Ill have seven votes and Brundt will let me in. hahahahah u are a noob.

Hope you have a bad life,

aragornjack1


Good to see your spelling's improved, at least. We Fremenniks learn how to use apostrophes before we can talk! So you've completed multiple trials, have you? Slain the Jormungand? Humph. Still not so impressive by Fremennik standards, but I suppose I can forgive you your earlier outburst. I remember how I reacted when Old Chief Svinulf told me I had to build a longboat with nothing but a glass hammer and a box of assorted knots! It took me at least a week. Good old Svinulf - now there was a man who knew the real meaning of the word 'trial'!

Maybe I'm out of touch? No, this new generation is just soft. Pah! Even Askeladden's Pet Rock could fetch me a measly Dodo Egg.

Still, I will say you've made good progress with the rest of the list. In another 15 years, maybe you'll finish it off - and my left toenail will be chieftain!

Keep looking,

Pontak

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To the Banks of Gielinor

To the representative of the Gielinor Banking system,

What was your reaction the first time you saw someone try to deposit the mythical Godsword? Are there items that the wonderful Banking staff prefer or resent? My second question is about your new branch being opened in the near future. What was the process like acquiring the land rights in the newly discovered Ancient wing of the God Wars Dungeon? I’ve been enormously impressed by your commitment to customer service (like your work with the chest on Ironman Isle on Fossil Island), and I’m very impressed that you’re taking this to the next level. Will you be getting KC for your personnel every time that items need to be brought down?

Gratefully yours, The Adventurer


Good day, Hablapata!

Frankly, being handed a Godsword was quite a shock! Especially since there were three more in the queue. It's not every day you have to stick an item thought to be the stuff of myth and legend in the vault - well, actually, it is. It's every day. Hardly anything surprises us Bankers, although we're never thrilled to have to handle 28 Buckets of Compost. Can't complain, though. At least it's in a bucket!

Obviously I can't share the full details, but it's all thanks to a mysterious tip-off. A messenger just showed up one day and said we might like to expand to the Ancient Prison. We didn't even know such a place existed! But as you've observed, we're always looking to improve customer service, so we made the necessary preparations and hey presto - there's your Bank.

Unfortunately we won't be getting KC for trekking down there. We'd hardly be the most popular Bank in Gielinor if our staff went around murdering people!

Thank you for your enquiry,

B. Anker, Official Representative of the Bank of Gielinor

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To Skotizo

To Skotizo,

Your feet so big, but flipper so small, why?

Sincerely, a flipper enthusiast


To the doomed Wasting EXP:

These Dark Claws of mine are indeed awe-inspiring. I can only assume that whichever lowly wretch thou hire to turn them into 'flippers' has to shrink them to fit thine puny human tootsies. Embarrassing!

Yours mockingly,

Skotizo

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To Konar quo Maten

To Konar quo Maten,

I found a Brimstone Key and it says it's for your heart. Can the next task you give me be a nice walk in the park with you?


Bringer of Death,

Unfortunately a walk in the park (even a nice one) would not serve the needs of balance. Perhaps you'd like to slay some Steel Dragons in the Brimhaven Dungeon instead?

Yours,

Konar quo Maten

x

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To Mambo-duna-roona and Patrick

ear Mambo-duna-roona and Patrick,

I recently built a Large Orrery in my home, and after studying it I am perplexed. It shows our home planet Gielinor, alongside our moon Zanaris, in orbit around a star. However, I also noticed a second planet with two moons also orbiting our star.

What is this planet? Is it inhabited? Are its moons similarly inhabited by magical fairies like Zanaris? I'd love to know.

With great inquisitiveness,

Worldstream


Dear Worldstream,

How wonderful to see an adventurer like yourself with such a passionate interest in astronomy! That Orrery looks to be based on our model here at the Observatory.

Unfortunately, Scorpius' notes on the project were lost in one of the many goblin raids, although we can guess that the model does indeed show our own planet, and one other. However, I must stress that this is all conjecture. I myself have not observed these other celestial bodies, and judging by this model they'd be completely uninhabitable. Take the large planet in the middle, for example; if Scorpius is to be believed, half of it would never even see daylight! What sort of creatures could survive in such conditions?

Perhaps these fairies of yours could manage it? Ha - fairies on the moon. What a charming idea. Take my advice, young astronomer - lay off Patrick's wine!

Yours,

Professor Groningen

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To Bob the Cat

Can you please tell Bob the Cat I said pspspspsps?


Oh, Freak_Mage... I'm sure he knows.


That's all from Postie Pete for now! There will be a new Reddit thread soon where you can submit letters for the next Gazette, so keep your eyes out for that!

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[h2]Player Creation Showcase[/h2]

We're back with another batch of your biggest and best pieces of creative work! Every individual featured in the Gazette will receive three months of free membership as thanks for their superb efforts, so keep an eye on the linked social accounts inbox for more details on how to grab your reward!

If you are looking to be featured in the next Gazette then make sure to submit your creations through our Player Showcase Gallery Form and state what Gazette you would like it to feature in. We look forward to seeing more of your incredible talents!

@Nilky


@PeachHoneyArt


u/Graxnar


u/Frau


GameQuicc


ArcanMakes


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That's everything for the return of the Gielinor Gazette. We'd love to hear your feedback on the newest edition and as with everything else, if you’ve got any ideas about the sorts of things you’d like to see in upcoming editions of the Gielinor Gazette, then please do let us know via our official forums, on the 2007Scape Reddit, the Steam forums or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.

Mods Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, Banjo, Boko, Brow, Bruno, Con, Curse, Daizong, Deagle, Dibber, Ditto, Dylan, Ed, Elena, Errol, Fed, Gecko, Grub, Halo, Havik, Hornet, Husky, Jalo, John C, Kandosii, Katies, Kamon, Kieren, Kirby, KT, Kurotou, Lenny, Light, Lottie, Mack, Matheus, Maylea, Markos, Meat, Morty, Nasty, Nin, Nylu, Oasis, Peppers, Regent, Redfield, Roq, Ry, Sarnie, Sigma, Skylark, Sova, Squid, Steve W, Tide, Torrance, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Zuko

The Old School Team

Leagues III Changes | Weekly Game Update (January 26th)



[h3]At approximately 12:30 the game worlds will be taken down for essential maintenance. A 30-minute countdown timer will signal the exact time this happens. We expect the downtime to be minimal (approximately 30-minutes) and we'll update this post once we have more information to share.[/h3]

This week, we’re bringing you a wealth of improvements to Leagues III: Shattered Relics!

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[h2]Leagues III: Shattered Relics Balancing[/h2]

It’s been great seeing so many of you getting stuck into our third League, Shattered Relics! We’re seeing some seriously powerful Fragment and Set Effect combinations, and we’re glad you’re thoroughly enjoying the extra strategy involved this time.

We’ve also seen feedback suggesting that the few restrictions in place are too limiting, and that the best Fragments and Set Effects take too long to obtain.

We’d like to alleviate these concerns somewhat by rebalancing the Renown cost required to unlock new skills and bosses. Those of you who’ve already unlocked this stuff will have the difference refunded. By opening any Leagues interface you'll get your refunded points with the amount shown in the chatbox. Happy spending!

This means if you haven't tried Shattered Relics yet, it's definitely not too late to start now!

We’d also like to rebalance some task requirements that are not realistically achievable in the time that Shattered Relics League will be available.

Here’s some handy infographics:


New Skill Unlock Costs




New Boss Unlock Costs




Task Adjustments






We’re also adjusting some Set Effect activation value requirements:



Set Effect

Previous Value

New Value



Fast Metabolism

3

2



Drakan's Touch

4

3



Absolute Unit

4

3



Knife's Edge (4)

4

3



The Alchemist

4

3



The Craftsman

4

3



Greedy Gatherer (3)

3

2



Greedy Gatherer (4)

4

3



Personal Banker (4)

4

3



Endless Knowledge

4

3



Last Recall

5

4



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[h2]Other Shattered Relics Changes[/h2]
  • More Banks will now correctly allow players to change Fragments and buy quests.
  • Added the Dragon Defender to the list of boosted item drops.
  • The Slayer Points earned by completing Porcine of Interest now count towards the relevant tasks.
  • The Fragment Menu will now save your filter settings, even after logging out.
  • The area around The Sage in which you can change Fragments has been extended east to cover the Waystone.
  • Increased the value of Fragments so that they no longer disappear on the floor when Fishing and Cooking with a full Backpack.
  • Clan Settings can no longer be accessed without a Bank PIN on Leagues worlds.

We're also adding some activities to some of the main Leagues worlds to make it easier finding people for certain content:
  • 401 - Wintertodt
  • 402 - Fishing Trawler
  • 403 - Tempoross
  • 405 - Pest Control
  • 406 - Ourania Altar
  • 407 - Mort'ton Temple
  • 408 - Zalcano
  • 409 - Barbarian Assault

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[h2]Shattered Relics Hotfixes[/h2]
  • Fixed an issue where Clue Vessels from Woodcutting and Fishing were rolling incorrectly.
  • Unlocking Troll Stronghold mid-way through Death Plateau will no longer cause issues.
  • Cooked fish that go to the Bank will now count towards relevant tasks.
  • Trailblazer-specific dialogue is no longer available in Shattered Relics.
  • On a similar note, the world hop warning message no longer references Leagues II: Trailblazer.
  • Players may now claim the Arcane Grimoire directly from the Sage.
  • Poison status will now be reset between Leagues.
  • The Desert II bundle will now give players the Frozen Door task, as intended.
  • The Profletchional Fragment no longer gives incorrect XP rates. Please note that accounts which benefitted from this considerably have had the XP they gained reset.
  • Fixed an issue where debug messaging was being sent to players when opening Fragments under certain conditions.
  • The Blast Mine is no longer giving incorrect XP rates.
  • Using the Coherent Fishing Fragment while fishing Karambwanji will no longer cook more fish than intended.
  • Using certain items on items with cosmetic variants from Shattered Relics will no longer cause unintended behaviour.
  • Fixed an issue where players were catching one Minnow at a time instead of 10-14.
  • Fixed an issue where Greedy Gatherer was not calculating the correct value of Fishing XP.
  • Fixed an issue where Fragments were dropping into an inaccessible location if they were obtained at the end of the Draynor Agility Course with a full Backpack.
  • Golden Brick Road coins are now distinguished from other players’ coins.
  • Removed a null error on the Map button when world hopping.
  • Cannons lost before the world reboot can now be reclaimed from the relevant NPC.
  • When qualifying for a Fragment drop, you are now more likely to receive Fragments you have yet to unlock, rather than ones you already own.

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[h2]Merch: Steamforged Games[/h2]

Get ready to rock and roll in the wonderful world of Gielinor! After more than 21 years of being exclusively digital, we’ve partnered with Steamforged Games to bring Gielinor to tabletops around the world!

Steamforged are creating both a board game and a core book for a tabletop roleplaying game set in Gielinor. Both games will debut in 2022 – the board game will be launched on Kickstarter, but the TTRPG will be heading straight to stores.

We know you can’t wait to start creating your own tabletop adventures – but how about shaping the games themselves? Get involved by taking part in our survey!

You’ll also get the opportunity to engage with Steamforged on Kickstarter and other dedicated community spaces throughout development. For the full announcement, invites to playtests and the latest updates you can join the dedicated mailing list on their website.


The Board Game

The board game will take 1-5 players on thrilling, quest-based campaigns through Gielinor. You’ll be able to craft and upgrade equipment, learn and improve your skills, cook special recipes, engage with your favourite NPCs and explore different regions, with a variety of enticing side quests to distract and entertain you on the way... oh, and did we mention the miniatures?


The Tabletop Roleplaying Game

The TTRPG will take the form of a lavishly illustrated, hardback core rulebook containing everything you need to run a campaign in the world of RuneScape! Build your own characters, explore the lush land of Gielinor, and create your own unique and exciting quests!

Both games will draw on quests, characters and locations from across RuneScape and Old School RuneScape’s history – and the TTRPG will be fully compatible with the fifth edition of the world’s favourite roleplaying game!

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[h2]Additional Changes[/h2]

Two issues relating to unique drops from Nex have been resolved. These issues were due to an oversight with the release of Shattered Relics:
  • Some players were able to unintentionally receive double unique drops from Nex. This was resolved via a hotfix shortly after it was introduced to the game.
  • An issue preventing some players from being eligible for unique drops from Nex has also been resolved. This was resolved via a hotfix earlier this week.

Whilst these issues were fixed immediately after we became aware of them, we do regret not spotting them earlier and would like to apologise to any players who were impacted by this.

  • Removed duplicate settings in the Settings interface.
  • The iOS Account Deletion button now links to a new web page specifically for iOS players, with a simpler UX for requesting to delete or disable their account. This will still not appear for Game Centre accounts not linked to a RuneScape account.
  • Players with a skill total of 1,500 or more are now allowed into Last Man Standing’s competitive modes even if they lack the 30 Quest Point requirement introduced last week.
  • Players with the Buff Bar disabled but the ‘Show Fragments’ button enabled are now able to see their Fragments.
  • Corrected a typo in The Sage’s dialogue.
  • Added more options for activities in the Clan Settings, including Risk-Free and Ferox Enclave.
  • Added in-game messages relating to filling the vessel to the spam filter.
  • Reduced amount of players allowed into a Tithe Farm instance from 3 to 2.

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[h2]PvP World Rota[/h2]

The PvP rota has moved to Period B:
  • 560 - (UK) - PvP World
  • 579 - (US) - High-Risk PvP World
  • 561 - (UK) - Free-to-Play PvP World
  • 580 - (US) - LMS Competitive

World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been de-activated with this rota.

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Discuss this update on our official forums, on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the#gameupdate channel. For reference on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.

Mods Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, Banjo, Boko, Brow, Bruno, Con, Curse, Daizong, Deagle, Dibber, Ditto, Dylan, Ed, Elena, Errol, Fed, Gecko, Grub, Halo, Havik, Hornet, Husky, Jalo, John C, Kandosii, Katies, Kamon, Kieren, Kirby, KT, Kurotou, Lenny, Light, Lottie, Mack, Matheus, Maylea, Markos, Meat, Morty, Nasty, Nin, Nylu, Oasis, Peppers, Regent, Redfield, Roq, Ry, Sarnie, Sigma, Skylark, Sova, Squid, Steve W, Tide, Torrance, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Zuko

The Old School Team

Guardians of the Rift

Ahh, Runecraft. A rewarding skill, but notoriously arduous to train! It’s been the subject of much debate over the years, and when we tentatively pitched a new training method back in December 2020’s Gielinor Gazette, it really got you folks talking. Keen-eyed readers will observe we've changed the name since, as the lore for the minigame has now been finalised.



So let’s pick up there: a fun, narratively exciting new minigame that serves as a brand-new method for training Runecraft: Guardians of the Rift! Should this pass a Poll, we expect the content to launch in March.

[h3]Spoiler warning: Lore ahead! Click below to expand...[/h3]

[expand]
The Abyss: a deadly realm filled with ancient power. The secrets of this plane have long eluded the denizens of the Wizards’ Tower, though some would give anything to properly uncover them. One of these wizards is Persten. While many in the Tower aren't convinced by her unorthodox methods, a recent discovery means she may now hold the key to the knowledge they crave the most. However, nothing is simple when the Abyss is involved, and Persten won't be able to get to the bottom of her discovery without your help...
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Temple of the Eye Quest


[h3]Spoiler warning: requirements for the Temple of the Eye Quest! Click below to expand...[/h3]

[expand]
  • Quest Requirements: Enter the Abyss miniquest.
  • Skill Requirements: Level 10 Runecrafting.
  • Other Requirements: Members-only.

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The Temple of the Eye quest will naturally guide you into Guardians of the Rift. We wanted the minigame to feel grounded in the wider world. It's a short and simple quest which should be accessible to most account types.

[h3]Spoiler Warning: rewards for the Temple of the Eye quest! Click below to expand...[/h3]

[expand]
  • Access to the Temple of the Eye.
  • The ability to play the Guardians of the Rift minigame.
  • 5,000 Runecraft XP.
  • A Medium Pouch (if not already acquired).

[/expand]

Poll Question #1:

Should we add the Temple of the Eye quest as described in the Guardians of the Rift blog?


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Guardians of the Rift Minigame


Spoiler Warning: Requirements for the Guardians of the Rift minigame! Click below to expand...

[expand]
  • Level 27 Runecraft.
  • Completion of the Temple of the Eye quest.
  • Members-only

[/expand]

[h2]The Basics[/h2]



Early concept birdseye image of the Temple of the Eye, Guardians of the Rift minigame. This is WIP.


The Guardians of the Rift minigame is non-instanced and non-combat, and therefore accessible for skillers.

Upon entering the Guardians of the Rift minigame, you’ll be transported into the Temple of the Eye. As the game starts, you will see the rift into the Abyss starting to open across the room! Oh no!

Fortunately, the wizards from the Wizards’ Tower are here to assist you. They will re-animate the Great Guardian in the middle of the room, so that it can try to close the rift. However, it’s pretty out-of-practice, and you must help protect it while it charges up enough power to close the rift.

Around the Great Guardian, there are various entrances to Runecraft altars, corresponding to different Runes. When active, these entrances will let players pass through to the corresponding Altars, but only two entrances can be active at any one time.

Outside of these entrances, there are two lanes: Elemental and Catalytic.

Elemental runes are Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Any type of Rune that is not Elemental is classed as Catalytic – for reference, that’s the Mind, Body, Cosmic, Chaos, Nature, Law, Death and Blood Runes.

As the Abyssal Rift opens, Abyssal Creatures will spawn. They won’t attack players, but they will go after the Great Guardian. Your job is to ensure that it reaches 100% charge and closes the rift on time by feeding it Imbued Essence.

If the Great Guardian’s charge hits zero, it’s game over! It loses charge each time it is hit by an Abyssal Creature. However, you can help defend it by creating Rift and Shield Guardians from supplies found in the minigame.

[h3]Click below to learn more about the Guardians.[/h3]

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Rift Guardians



This image is a placeholder

Rift Guardians’ purpose is to protect the Rift – the flow of magic entering Gielinor. To do so, they carry a piece of it within their own bodies. They can use this rift to resonate with different types of energies – Catalytic or Elemental.

The Rift Guardians will actively protect the Great Guardian by moving through the lanes towards the Abyssal Rift, where they’ll attack the Creatures as they spawn.

You’ll get the chance to create your own Rift Guardians in the minigame by using a Chisel on nearby essence, which you can then imbue and fit with Charged Batteries.

Rift Guardians can be upgraded using Elemental and Catalytic Batteries. Elemental Rift Guardians only use melee attacks, but Catalytic ones can use Magic to attack from afar! Once upgraded, they’ll hit harder and have more HP.

Should a Rift Guardian fall, it can be mined for essence shards. More on this later!

Shield Guardians



This image is a placeholder

Shield Guardians protect the Great Guardian in a more defensive capacity. Just like their Rift Guardian counterparts they can be powered up with Essence Shards and Charged Catalytic or Elemental batteries.

Upgraded Shield Guardians have more HP. Their job is to tank damage from the Abyssal Creatures, so make sure to heal them up now and then!

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[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

Guardians of the Rift has three distinct phases:

Phase 1

In the first phase, which only lasts a short while, you’ll have some time to prepare before the Abyssal Creatures attack. You’ll want to focus on obtaining supplies – mining Essence Shards and collecting Uncharged Batteries which you can then use to create Rift Guardians and power up the Shield Guardians. To begin with, there are a limited supply of Air and Mind Batteries near the wizards that you can use as an initial defence.

Phase 2

In the second phase, the rift will start to spawn Abyssal Creatures.

You’ll need to combine the Essence Shards you’ve collected with Pure Essence to create Unimbued Essence, which you can then imbue at one of the Runecraft altars and bring to the Great Guardian. This will get you Runes and Runecraft XP – and it’ll also ensure the Great Guardian is charged up and ready for Phase Three.

There’s a Bank available in the minigame area where you can fetch Pure Essence during battle.

Phase 3

In this final phase, even more dangerous mobs will start spawning from the rift. Your Shield Guardians will take a lot of damage, so you’ll need to focus on charging up the Great Guardian with Imbued Essence while still maintaining the Great Guardian's defences.


Essence Shards

Essence Shards are a new material found only within the Guardians of the Rift minigame. Various nodes of different sizes can be mined for Essence Shards – so be sure to bring your Pickaxe! Larger nodes are located further away from the lanes and will yield more Essence Shards for your troubles. There are also some nodes on the very edge of the arena – but you’ll need to use Agility to scale the steep slope leading up to them.

Occasionally, portals will spawn to take players to the outer wall areas, where you can obtain more Essence Shards. These portals completely bypass the Agility requirement mentioned above, and you don’t need to meet that requirement to get back to the main arena either. However, the portals spawn randomly and disappear quickly, so it's certainly more reliable to use the Agility shortcut if you can!

Nodes aren’t the only source of Essence Shards. When your Rift Guardians tragically fall in battle, their corpses can be mined for a moderate amount of Essence. If left unmined, their fallen bodies will lay on the ground and temporarily block the path, until they are cleared automatically or removed by Abyssal Creatures. Now it’s time to think strategically – is it better to obtain Essence or benefit from the extra blocking while you catch your breath?

You can combine Essence Shards with Pure Essence to create Unimbued Essence (which can be stored in Essence Pouches). To do so, jump through an Elemental or Catalytic portal to create Imbued Essence at a Runecraft altar. Once you have Imbued Essence, you can use it to charge up the Great Guardian and gain lots of lovely XP! The amount awarded will vary depending on which type of Imbued Essence you're using - the higher the Runecraft requirement, the better your XP. You’ll also get XP and Runes just for creating the Imbued Essence at the altars. Essence Shards can also be used to power up the Shield Guardians initially. Now, though, let’s talk about Batteries.


Charged Batteries

Wizards are stationed throughout the minigame area, and a crate nearby will have some uncharged Batteries from their supplies. Make sure to pick one up as you pass – you’ll need it!

Uncharged Batteries need to be charged at a Runecraft altar before they can become charged. The charge will be either Elemental or Catalytic, depending on which type of altar you used.

Charged Batteries can be used to charge and upgrade the Shield Guardians and Rift Guardians. Batteries will also make the Rift Guardians hit harder.

The tier of the Battery changes when it’s charged, corresponding to the Runecraft level of the altar used.

Here’s a table to illustrate how that works:



Type

Tier

Elemental/Catalytic



Air

1

Elemental



Water

2

Elemental



Earth

3

Elemental



Fire

4

Elemental





Mind

1

Catalytic



Chaos

2

Catalytic



Death

3

Catalytic



Blood

4

Catalytic



The Shield Guardians and Rift Guardians must be upgraded in the correct order, starting from Air or Mind and upgrading one tier at a time. If a lesser Battery is used on the Guardian, it won't go to waste - it will heal the Guardian and give you a small amount of XP. The XP gains for healing and upgrading are the same.

The higher the tier, the more HP the Guardian will have. Here’s a breakdown of how we expect the numbers will play out:



Guardian Tier

Base HP

Max HP

Tier 1 Battery

Tier 2 Battery

Tier 3 Battery

Tier 4 Battery



Tier 1

20

100

20

Upgrade

N/A

N/A



Tier 2

100

200

20

30

Upgrade

N/A



Tier 3

200

300

20

30

40

Upgrade



Tier 4

300

500

20

30

40

50



Please note that these numbers are not final and are still subject to testing and balancing.


Portal Talismans

When you are imbuing something at an altar, you will have an uncommon chance to receive a Portal Talisman, allowing you to take another trip back to that altar! They’re perfect for when you want to go back to an altar that just closed.

Portal Talismans will not carry over from game to game, so use ‘em or lose ‘em!


Experience Rates

This minigame is not instanced, meaning only one game will be played per world at any one time.

Players will gain small amounts of Runecraft XP throughout Guardians of the Rift. After successfully completing a round, players will receive a large amount of Runecraft XP, so it’s worth sticking around to get that win!

The ballpark XP rates, compared with other training methods, are as follows:



Method

XP Rate per hour

GP rate per hour

Intensity



ZMI

25,000 - 54,000 (scales with level)

Low (~200,000 - 300,000)

Low-Mid



Blood Runes

35,000-40,000 (plus 5,000 Mining and 6,000 Crafting)

Low (~400,000 – 500,000)

Very Low



Soul Runes

45,000 – 50,000 (plus 5,000 Mining and 6,000 Crafting)

Low (~200,000 – 300,000)

Very Low



Lava Runes

75,000 – 80,000

None (costs ~100,000 – 150,000)

Very High



Guardians of the Rift (Proposal, subject to balancing)

20,000 – 60,000 (scales with level)

Low (~400,000 – 500,000)

Medium



As you can see, Guardians of the Rift fits neatly in with existing methods. XP scales, as with ZMI and provides better XP than Bloods and Souls at their respective levels, but less than Lava Runes. The GP rates are comparable to Blood Runes. On top of this, it’s an engaging minigame with lots of small decisions to be made throughout.

Poll Question #2:

If Poll Question #1 passes, should we add the Guardians of the Rift minigame? This is a brand new Runecraft minigame designed to fit alongside existing methods.



[h2]Rewards[/h2]

The Reward Rift

After successfully completing a game, you’ll will accumulate Elemental and Catalytic Energy. The amount awarded depends on your specific actions in the minigame.

Rewards are earned by spending one of each point (Elemental and Catalytic) to reach into an Abyssal Rift and receive a random reward!


Runes (General Loot Table)



Runes, glorious Runes! The standard loot table includes an assortment of ‘em, awarded based on your contribution to the minigame. It will be random, but we are also investigating how this reward could scale with Runecraft levels.

Please note that Wrath Runes are only available if you have completed Dragon Slayer II.


Standard Talismans (General Loot Table)



The standard loot table also includes any type of Talisman, with some exceptions: it will only drop the Death Talisman if the player has completed Mourning’s End pt. II, and the Wrath Talisman only if the player has completed Dragon Slayer II.

The Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop also contains all standard Talismans, but we want to ask whether it should stock Blood Talismans. Items within the Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop are purchasable using Abyssal Pearls (more on this below).While we’re on the topic, we're also introducing the Catalytic Talisman to the Reward Rift. This will count for any non-Elemental Runecraft altar, giving its lucky owner access to some of the most sought-after altars. Additionally, the Catalytic Talisman will grant players access to the true Blood Altar in Morytania (requiring Sins of the Father to enter). Juicy!

Please note, the Catalytic Talisman will only allow access to the Death Altar for those who have completed Mournings End Pt. II, and the Wrath Talisman only if the player has completed Dragon Slayer II. The Catalytic Talisman is a rare drop from the Reward Rift.

New Talismans (Talismen?) means new Tiaras! Both the new Catalytic Talisman and the existing Elemental Talisman can be melded with a Gold Bar to create two new Tiaras. Fashionable and practical!


Poll Question #3:

Should the Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop stock Blood Talismans?



Poll Question #4:

Should we introduce a new Catalytic Talisman as a rare drop in the Guardians of the Rift Rewards Rift?



Poll Question #5:

If the Catalytic Talisman is added to the game, should it grant access to the true Blood Altar in Morytania? It would require Sins of the Father to enter.



Poll Question #6:

Should we introduce two new Tiaras, craftable by combining a Catalytic or Elemental Talisman with a Gold Bar?



Abyssal Pearls

Abyssal Pearls are a new type of currency which can be used in the Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop. They are obtained from the Rewards Rift, so the amount you will receive will depend on your contribution to the minigame.


Guardians of the Rift Pet

When the Tempoross minigame came out last year, it came with a brand-new pet. We want to do the same here, but there’s already an existing Rift Guardian pet, so we’re still discussing what this new pet could be. We’re torn between a version of the Great Guardian or your very own Abyssal Creature!

We'd like to hear your feedback about which you'd prefer. Obviously this is a bit difficult when we don’t yet have the models to share with you, but let us know your initial impression. If we do go for the Great Guardian option, rest assured we’ll work to make it look different to the existing Rift Guardian pet!

Poll Question #7:

Should we introduce a new pet from the Rewards Rift in the Guardians of the Rift minigame?



Abyssal Needle (to create a brand-new Colossal Pouch)

The Abyssal Needle is used to craft a new Runecraft Pouch. It’s an upgrade from the Giant Pouch and requires 85 Runecraft to use. The table below outlines how it compares to other Runecraft Pouches:



Type

Runecraft Level

Capacity

Cumulative Capacity

Uses before decay



Small Pouch

1

3

3

No decay



Medium Pouch

25

6

9

45



Large Pouch

50

9

18

29



Giant Pouch

75

12

30

11



Colossal Pouch

85

40

40

8



The Colossal Pouch is made by using the Abyssal Needle on any of the other Pouches while you have them all in your Backpack, essentially stitching them together like some sort of abominable Frankenpouch. Making it requires 56 Crafting and consumes the Abyssal Needle, but players can get another by using a regular Needle on the Reward Rift. You cannot get other Pouches in addition to the Colossal Pouch.

The Colossal Pouch will have a knock-on effect for other Runecraft methods by slightly increasing XP/hr, and it means fewer Pouches to click.

Should this pass the poll, we will make sure the Colossal Pouch counts for the Devious Minds quest.

Poll Question #8:

Should we introduce an Abyssal Needle, obtainable via the Rewards Rift in the Guardians of the Rift minigame? This would allow players to stitch existing Runecraft Pouches together to create a Colossal Pouch, requiring 85 Runecraft and 56 Crafting to use.



Abyssal Lantern

The Abyssal Lantern is an offhand item held in the shield slot, and you can pick one up at the Reward Shop. It requires Firemaking to use.

It gives various benefits during Guardians of the Rift based on which logs are used to light it. It can be lit by using two of the logs listed in the table below, if the player has the Firemaking level required. There’s a Bank in the minigame to facilitate this.



Log Type

Firemaking Level Required

Bonus



Blisterwood

62

Gives a 15% increase to blood runes crafted within the minigame.



Magic

75

Gives a 10% increase to all runes that are crafted within the minigame.



Maple

45

Your chances of finding portal shards is increased by 20%.



Normal

1

Your chances of finding portal shards is increased by 10%.



Oak

15

Increases your reward points gained by 5%.



Redwood

90

Increases your reward points gained and runes crafted by 5%, also your runecraft pouches will no longer degrade within the minigame



Willow

30

Gives a 5% increase to all runes that are crafted within the minigame.



Yew

60

Increases your reward points gained by 10%.



The Lantern will last five games in a row, meaning ten logs are required to fully charge it, and it will lose two logs worth of charge per game. It can be lit outside but provides no benefits.

Poll Question #9:

Should we introduce the Abyssal Lantern as a reward from the Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop? This would be an offhand that allows bonuses in the Guardians of the Rift minigame, using logs to offer different types of bonuses.



Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop

The Guardians of the Rift Rewards Shop allows you to spend any Abyssal Pearls you’ve earned on powerful goodies! It will include all Standard Talismans, as well as the following unique rewards:


Runecraft Skilling Outfit



This offers players increased yield in the number of Runes they can craft. It’s more focussed on increasing the profit you can make while training Runecraft, as opposed to making it faster to gain XP.

The Outfit consists of four pieces of gear: Helm, Chest, Legs and Boots.

The inclusion of the Hat means you’d have to make the choice between that and your Tiara when working at certain altars. But what if you could add the Catalytic and Elemental Tiaras to the Hat? You can change them out as you please. This would allow you to rock the new outfit while still having a one-click access to those Runecraft altars!

Each piece has a 10% bonus chance to craft additional Runes, going up to a total of 60% when all pieces are worn.

The Runecraft Skilling Outfit has the potential to alleviate problems that Iron players experience with obtaining Blood Runes – at the very least for those who have already achieved Level 77 Runecraft or above. This won't solve the issue for Iron players who don't have the required Runecraft levels to create Blood Runes, but Guardians of the Rift should help to make Runecrafting generally more accessible and engaging in the earlier levels, and thus make achieving these milestones a lot more realistic for everyone. However, we're also open to feedback. Are there any further changes you think we could make to address this problem?

Runecraft requires a fair amount of running, and we’re taking into consideration the impact this outfit might have on player energy. It won’t weigh too much, so players can viably choose between the weight-reducing properties of Graceful and the benefits of the Runecraft Skilling Outfit.

Poll Question #10:

Should we introduce a new Runecraft Skilling Outfit as explained in the Guardians of the Rift blog, obtainable via the Guardians of the Rift Rewards shop?



Ring of the Elements

The Ring of the Elements stores many teleport charges and can teleport players to various Runecraft-related locations. The idea came from a player suggestion to create an 'infinite' Ring of Dueling, but instead of teleporting the player to the Duel Arena, Ferox Enclave and Castle Wars, the latter of which doesn't really relate to Runecraft, it would take you near each of the four Elemental altars. This gives easier access to the Air, Earth, Fire and Water altars to increase the amount of Runes you can craft!

This ring will require a Law Rune and one of each Elemental Rune per charge.

The maximum number of charges stored is 10,000.

Teleport locations:

  • Fire Altar: Outside of the Duel Arena gates.
  • Water Altar: West of the Water Altar.
  • Air Altar: South of the Air Altar.
  • Earth Altar: South of the Earth Altar.


The Water, Air and Earth teleports will be slightly further away from their respective Altars than the Fire teleport.

We think that this item might have some use in free-to-play, and we are happy to poll this as a separate question to see what you think. This could increase the value of the item whilst also giving non-members new teleports they do not currently have access to.

Poll Question #11:

Should we introduce a Ring of the Elements as a reward obtainable via the Guardians of the Rift Rewards shop?


Poll Question #12:

If Poll Question #9 passes, should the Ring of the Elements be made available in free-to-play?


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That’s it, rifties! We'll update this blog with our final poll questions once we’ve had your feedback. Please get in touch so that we can make any amendments necessary before the poll goes live.

Still got questions? We’ll be discussing this blog further on our Twitch Livestream, Thursday January 27th at 17:00 GMT with Mods Elena, Husky and Light. Send us your queries and anything you'd like us to address!

Discuss this update on our official forums, on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the#gameupdate channel. For reference on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.

Mods Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, Banjo, Boko, Brow, Bruno, Con, Curse, Daizong, Deagle, Dibber, Ditto, Dylan, Ed, Elena, Errol, Fed, Gecko, Grub, Halo, Havik, Hornet, Husky, Jalo, John C, Kandosii, Katies, Kamon, Kieren, Kirby, KT, Kurotou, Lenny, Light, Lottie, Mack, Matheus, Maylea, Markos, Meat, Morty, Nasty, Nin, Nylu, Oasis, Peppers, Regent, Redfield, Roq, Ry, Sarnie, Sigma, Skylark, Sova, Squid, Steve W, Tide, Torrance, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Zuko

Leagues III: Shattered Relics - Launch | Weekly Game Update (January 19th)



This week we’re embarking on a new adventure with Leagues III: Shattered Relics!

Please note that with this week’s update, the game will be down for longer than usual with an aim to launch at 12:00pm GMT – to allow the team to carry out some final testing.

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[h2]Leagues III: Shattered Relics[/h2]

Get ready to experience Old School RuneScape in a brand new way! Leagues III: Shattered Relics is finally here, and you’ll be able to play it as much as you like until March 2nd, 2022.

Let’s take a look at that trailer again…

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

To start your Leagues adventure, you’ll need an account with active membership. Once you’ve got yourself one of those, simply open up the game and select one of the worlds marked in green on the World Selector page. At launch, there’ll be 22 Leagues worlds available:
  • US (East): 401, 402, 403, 404, 578 & 581
  • US (West): 409, 410, 411 & 540
  • EU: 405, 406, 458, 459 & 460
  • UK: 407, 408 & 558
  • Australia: 412, 568, 569 & 570

When you begin you’ll start as a fresh new Iron account. But don’t worry – this doesn’t affect any of your stats in the main game, so you can use whichever account you like for this game mode!

Leagues III: Shattered Relics begins with an opening cutscene explaining where you’ve come from and what’s about to happen. After that, you’ll appear in the familiar fishing town of Catherby, where a mysterious figure is waiting to explain everything you need to know.

An image from the opening cutscene.


The Leagues III starting area.


The Sage has kindly stepped in to help guide you on your journey through this League, and provide a short tutorial. The basics remain the same - complete tasks to unlock League Points, which in turn can be exchanged to unlock more Fragment slots (and later, main game rewards). You can also gain Sage’s Renown, which is your main currency for unlocking the biggest restrictions in this League: skills and bosses.

Initially, you’ll only be able to earn XP in Fishing, Thieving and Defence, along with one Combat skill of your choice (Attack, Magic or Ranged). You’ll also get a starting Fragment based on your selection.

From there on out, the choice is yours! Unlike previous Leagues, there are no area restrictions and you can explore the whole of Gielinor however you see fit. Plus, your Run Energy will never deplete!

If you do need any additional information about the League, its mechanics, or anything else, you can find it in the new Leagues tab in the Character Summary window.

The Leagues tab.


Read on for information about getting started, or dive straight in! Further details can be found at the OSRS Wiki, the official Old School RuneScape Discord, the official Leagues III Discord, or the 2007Scape subreddit.

Expand the tabs below to learn more about Leagues III: Shattered Relics!

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[h2]LEAGUE-SPECIFIC RULES[/h2]
[expand]
  • You will start as a new Iron player near the town of Catherby, which means you cannot trade with other players or use the Grand Exchange.
  • You will have the normal items from Tutorial Island in your Backpack and Bank.
  • All skills except Defence, Fishing and Thieving, plus the Combat skill of your choice, will be locked.
  • Additional skills, bosses and quest bundles can be purchased with Sage's Renown which can be earned by completing tasks.
  • You may still perform skilling activities within the range of your locked skills, but will not receive any experience. For example, you can still cut normal trees and receive logs without unlocking Woodcutting, but you cannot progress to oak trees until you unlock the skill.
  • XP rates will be accelerated by 5x the usual rate.
  • For this League, Clue Scrolls will stack in Clue Scroll Boxes.
  • Any death will respawn you at the starting point in Catherby.
The starting area, just west of Catherby.

[/expand]

[h2]TASKS[/h2]
[expand]

Tasks are a collection of goals that earn you League Points. They include all kinds of activities including skilling, obtaining rare drops, killing creatures, completing quests, and even playing minigames.

You can find a full list in the ‘Tasks’ tab of the Leagues Menu, where you’ll also be able to check how many League Points you need for your next Fragment Slot. The Task List can also be filtered by tier, type, area, skill and whether or not you’ve completed it.

The Tasks tab.


The amount of League Points received varies according to the tier of the task, ranging from Easy to Master. You’ll also earn Sage’s Renown, which we’ll learn about later on.

The Tasks tab.


Our friends at the OSRS Wiki have a full list of tasks for you to peruse!

[/expand]

[h2]SAGE'S RENOWN UNLOCKS[/h2]
[expand]

Leagues III: Shattered Relics introduces a new currency called Sage’s Renown, which you’ll earn by completing tasks. Sage’s Renown is used to unlock skills and bosses, and for auto-completing quests. You can find all these options under the ‘Unlocks’ tab in the Leagues Menu.

Unlike League Points, Sage’s Renown disappears once you spend it – so choose your unlocks wisely!

To begin with, you’ll only have four skills available. To gain XP in the others, you’ll need to unlock it with Sage’s Renown. Please note that you won’t receive any extra XP when unlocking the skill – you’ll be starting from Level 1, even if you got XP from a quest!

The skill unlocks interface.


Bosses can also be unlocked with Sage’s Renown. You must meet all the normal pre-requisites for a particular boss before you can face them, even after they’re unlocked.

The bosses unlocks interface.


Quests are a bit different – they come in bundles, rather than individual unlocks. Unlocking a specific questline will auto-complete all the quests in the bundle.

The quests auto-complete interface.


Select a bundle and click the Info button to learn which items and areas you’ll unlock. If you’ve already completed some of the quests in the bundle, you’ll get a discount.

Please note that you can only auto-complete quests while in a Bank. Any XP you would ordinarily gain from the quest will NOT be received – you’ll have to actually do the quest to get your hands on that!

An example of a quest bundle.


You can find a full list of restricted content and the associated unlock cost in the Restricted Content section of the OSRS Wiki.

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[h2]FRAGMENTS AND SET EFFECTS[/h2]
[expand]

The all-powerful Relics of the previous two Leagues have been split into Fragments and scattered across Gielinor!

It’s not all bad though – by experimenting with Fragments, you’ll be able to customise your gameplay experience like never before!

You can learn all you need to know about Fragments and Set Effects in the ‘Fragments’ section of the Leagues Menu – but here’s a quick run-down.

The Fragments menu.


Here’s the key thing about Fragments – unlike Relics, your choices aren’t permanent, and you can swap Fragments around as you please. You can do so by simply dragging and dropping a Fragment into any unlocked slot. If there’s already a Fragment in the slot, it’ll be replaced.

This menu also lets you filter Fragments to see only the ones you’ve unlocked. You can also check individual Fragment Effects, and your current active and passive effects, such as your current XP boost.

Here's the first Fragment in an active slot.


To maximise your Fragments’ potential, you’ll need to take advantage of their Set Effects. Using Fragments from the same family will activate their Set Effect, an awesome, super-specialised buff. Read all about ‘em in the Fragments menu!

Lastly, Fragments will level up as you gain experience while they’re active. Your active Fragments will get one XP point for every XP point you earn – so they should level up sharpish!

So what are these Fragments? There are lots of different ones, but we suppose we can give you a sneak peek. When you pick your first Combat skill to unlock, you’ll gain a matching Fragment. Let’s take a look:

Your first choice.


Unwavering Warrior (Attack)

Choosing Attack as your first Combat skill will get you a free Steel Scimitar and the Unholy Warrior Fragment. When active, melee attacks get an accuracy boost when you are on 0 Prayer Points:
  • Level 1: 12%
  • Level 2: 20%
  • Level 3: 30%


Focused Ranger (Ranged)

Along with an Oak Longbow and some Iron Arrows, you’ll also receive the Bottomless Quiver Fragment when choosing Ranged as your starting Combat skill.

With this Fragment active, Ranged ammunition and weapon charges have a chance to be saved – with the exception of Chinchompas, who are sadly irreplaceable.
  • Level 1: 40%
  • Level 2: 60%
  • Level 3: 90%


Masterful Wizard (Magic)

Choosing Magic as your starting Combat skill nets you a Staff and some Runes, plus the Arcane Conduit Fragment. When active, Runes and Magic weapon charges have a chance to be saved on cast:
  • Level 1: 40%
  • Level 2: 60%
  • Level 3: 90%


Please note that your starting Fragment and skill cannot be changed, although you can find the other two Fragments later on. Plus, you can unlock the other skills using Sage’s Renown.

How do you find Fragments, you ask? Well, every Fragment in the League can be discovered while partaking in regular activities as part of ordinary gameplay. Want a Firemaking Fragment? Light some fires! Hunter? Catch some kebbits! And so on.

Any kind of Combat has the chance to get you a Combat Fragment, so get to Slaying!

Check out the following pages from the OSRS Wiki to see a full list of Fragments and Set Effects.

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[h2]WAYSTONES[/h2]
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With the whole of Gielinor to explore, we thought we’d save you some time by creating easy transport options. Along with your unlimited Run Energy, you’ll find Waystones in certain major cities and popular destinations. Once activated, you can travel between Waystones as many times as you like, with no cooldown.

An active Waystone near Catherby.


Here's a handy guide to the Waystone network:

A list of Waystone locations from in-game.


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[h2]HISCORES AND LEAGUE POINTS[/h2]
[expand]

You’ll get League Points for completing tasks, and harder tasks offer more Points – but you’ll need to be a real tough cookie to reach the higher echelons of the Leagues HiScores table! The more tasks you complete, the higher you’ll climb!

We’ll also be bringing back League Firsts, which will be awarded to the quickest player to complete this League’s most impressive feats including:
  • Obtaining a pet
  • Achieving a Level 99
  • Completing an Elite Achievement Diary
  • Maxing a Fragment
  • Obtaining all Fragments
  • Unlocking all skills
  • Unlocking all bosses
  • Reaching Tiers 5,6, and 7 (three separate firsts)
  • Reaching Tiers 5,6, and 7 without unlocking hitpoints (three separate firsts)
  • Completing each tier of the Combat Achievements (six separate firsts - Easy, Medium, Hard, Elite, Master and Grandmaster)

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[h2]REWARDS[/h2]
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Leagues might be a temporary game mode, but we don’t want you going away empty-handed! You’ll be able to spend your hard-earned League Points on various rewards back in the main game – including some from previous Leagues. Let’s have a gander…


Shattered Relic Hunter Outfit

As long-time League fans will know, each League has its own themed outfits, available in three distinctly fashionable tiers. The more points you accumulate in the League, the higher tier of outfit you can access. Naturally, you get more flair for your fashion at the higher tiers – and each outfit comes with its own emote, too.

The Relic Hunter outfit for Leagues III is the Shattered Relic Hunter Outfit, and it’s perfect for sailing ominously down the River of Souls in.

All variants of each Relic Hunter outfit (from left to right: Tier 1, Tier 2 & Tier 3).



Shattered Relics Home Teleport Animation

Spice up your tawdry old Home Teleport animation with a stylish new variant, perfect for when you’re too ‘shattered’ to schlep back to Lumbridge. This little scroll will teach you to teleport in style by placing down some Relics. Careful with those, now!

The Relic-centric Home Teleport animation.



Leagues Banner

Show your support for your favourite League (so far) with this themed banner! The banner is wearable, though if you don't fancy using up a main-hand slot, it can be proudly displayed in your Player Owned House via the Leagues Hall.

The Leagues III Banner.



Weapon Variety Pack

Show the bosses who’s boss with the Shattered Relics Weapon Variety Pack, including cosmetic recolours for all kinds of playstyles. Whether you’re wielding the Abyssal Whip, the Tentacle Whip, the Rune Crossbow, God Books, or just strutting your stuff in Mystic Robes, this pack has a fancy new option for you.

Cool whip! (Left: Abyssal Whip, Right: Tentacle Whip)


A classic, given new life. (Rune Crossbow)


Which God Book do you wield? (left to right: Armadyl, Bandos, Guthix, Saradomin, Zamorak & Zaros)


Mystic Robes for mystic bros. (Mystic Robes)



Dwarven Multicannon Ornament Kit

The Dwarven Multicannon is an interesting item. It’s expensive to operate, but packs a hefty punch, and can greatly speed up those Slayer tasks! The advantages are obvious: it can be used at the very start of the game as the quests required to unlock it are pretty low level. It then remains viable right up to 99 Slayer.

How could we possibly improve this iconic weapon? Uh, by sticking an Ornament Kit on it, obviously! Use the Kit to give your Multicannon a fresh look, not unlike a certain something from classic RuneScape.

A cannon based on a classic! (Dwarven Multicannon)



Void & Elite Void Ornament Kit

Void is the perfect reward for Leagues III because it already fits with Melee, Range and Magic Combat thanks to the different Helmet types. Plus, the Void and Elite Void variants are great for both mid and late game PvM players. A snazzy Leagues-themed recolour for these outfits is the perfect reward for speedy ‘Scapers.

Enter the void in style! (left to right: Void Melee, Ranged, Mage, Void Elite, Melee, Ranged & Mage)


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[h2]LEAGUE TO LEAGUE REWARDS[/h2]
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Certain stuff is so rare and exciting that getting it in a temporary game mode is kind of a buzzkill! To remedy this problem, certain items can be carried over from League to League, including:


Pets

You'll be able to reclaim any pet received during the first two Leagues so it can follow you about in Leagues III: Shattered Relics. Note that pets obtained in this manner will not count towards the League First.


Seasonal Cosmetics

For those of you who participated in the Halloween or Christmas event during Leagues II: Trailblazer, you'll be able to claim your holiday rewards from the main man Diango! Find him in Draynor Market.

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[h2]LEAGUES VETERAN WORLDS[/h2]
[expand]

Last time, we noticed that the League Veteran Worlds were not being used as intended, and weren’t utilised as much as we expected. We’ve scrapped them for Leagues III, but in return we’ve increased the number of League worlds available!

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[h2]LEAGUES TROPHIES[/h2]
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Unlike other rewards, League Trophies can’t be bought – only earned. They’re an exclusive reward for those who strived to clamber up the top tiers of the HiScores – so it wouldn’t be fair if just anyone could grab ‘em at the Grand Exchange!

To get your hands on one, you’ll need to place in one of the following tiers:

Tier
Threshold
Bronze
100 League Points (Minimum amount to appear on the HiScores)
Iron
Top 80%
Steel
Top 60%
Mithril
Top 40%
Adamant
Top 20%
Rune
Top 5%
Dragon
Top 1%


All League Trophies can be displayed in the Player Owned House or held. They also all have a unique emote that you can access by right-clicking them.

[/expand]

As a bonus, we'll be keeping an eye on the first person to take down the fearsome fifth general Nex, by themselves! If you're the first one to accomplish this feat, you'll earn yourself a few months of membership.

And that just about wraps it up! We hope you enjoy your time in Leagues III: Shattered Relics and we can’t wait to see you race to grab those League Firsts and hit Dragon tier.

On your marks, get set… go!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Between Two Worlds[/h2]

Our epic trailer for Leagues III: Shattered Relics features an original soundtrack, Between Two Worlds, created by Tal Richards, and featuring Ciele and Bizarre Star Strings.



Enhance your experience with our most open and versatile Leagues as Between Two Worlds is now streaming on all major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and more. For a full list, check out this page.

You can also join us on Thursday, January 20th at 17:00 GMT over on Twitch for an exclusive interview with Tal Richards & Ciele before our Leagues III Q&A begins!

And to learn more about our fantastic musicians, check the following links:

You can watch the full music video here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We’d like to give a special thanks to Mod Scratchr, Mod Zarella, Mod Shed, Mod Grace, Mod Surma, Mod Kasia, Mod Razor, Mod Bob, Mod Archie, Mod Parrish, Mod Daz, Mod Aethra, Mod Kandosii, Mod Dnz, Rick Nath and Surface Digital for their work on this amazing video.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Other Changes[/h2]

Before we walk you through the bits and pieces we’ve changed this week, we’d like to have a word about botting at Last Man Standing.

Every day we ban thousands of bots in Old School, but we understand that some do slip through the net. The anti-cheating team remain committed to tackling bots, and the methods we use to detect bots continue to advance. Unfortunately, due to the low entry requirements for Last Man Standing, new bots continually return to cheat after other accounts they use have been banned. To help resolve this, and improve your player experience, we’ve added additional requirements to Competitive and High Stakes modes.

Players will now need a total Skill Level of 750 and at least 30 Quest Points to participate in these modes.

We understand that higher requirements are frustrating for legitimate players, and apologise for the inconvenience. Your patience is much appreciated as we work to make this minigame fun and fair for everyone.
  • The Edgeville General Store now stocks a Knife, in case players leaving Edgeville need to slash any spider webs.
  • Monster Examine is now re-enabled on Nex. Learn more in our latest Nex post.
  • Dying at the same moment as killing TzKal-Zuk now correctly subtracts 1 KC from a task.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]PvP World Rota[/h2]

The PvP rota has moved to Period A:
  • 539 - (US) - PvP World
  • 548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World
  • 577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World
  • 559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive

World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been activated with this rota.

[hr][/hr]
Discuss this update on our official forums, on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the#gameupdate channel. For reference on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.

Mods Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, Banjo, Boko, Brow, Bruno, Con, Curse, Daizong, Deagle, Dibber, Ditto, Dylan, Ed, Elena, Errol, Fed, Gecko, Grub, Halo, Havik, Hornet, Husky, Jalo, John C, Kandosii, Katies, Kamon, Kieren, Kirby, KT, Kurotou, Lenny, Light, Lottie, Mack, Matheus, Maylea, Markos, Meat, Morty, Nasty, Nin, Nylu, Oasis, Peppers, Regent, Redfield, Roq, Ry, Sarnie, Sigma, Skylark, Sova, Squid, Steve W, Tide, Torrance, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Zuko

The Old School Team

Nex Changes & Tweaks - Weekly Game Update (January 12th)



This week brings a few early changes to Nex!

Please note that with this week’s update, the game will be down for a bit longer than usual – approximately 30 minutes – to allow the engine team to carry out some necessary work.

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[h2]Nex: Changes & Tweaks [/h2]



We’re blown away by how much you lot are enjoying Nex. It warms our heart to see so many people breaking into the Ancient Prison and beating up the beasties within.

However, as with any new bit of content, we’ve had to make a few small quality-of-life adjustments. The following will go live with this week’s update:


[h3]New Changes [/h3]

  • Nex's Soul Split healing has been combined into one hitsplat in her final stand.
  • If there are less than 20 people in an encounter all loot will drop underneath Nex. Any encounter with 20 people or above, loot will drop under the player.
  • The final phase of Nex has been updated to be a little more consistent with targeting and melee attacks.
  • The wander range on Ashuelot Reis has been reduced.
  • Nex's Loot Table has been slightly altered.
  • Nexling now appears on the 'All Pets' page of the Collection Log.
  • Nex can now be selected as an activity when setting up Clan events.
  • The Zaryte Crossbow’s effect has been added to the Worn Equipment Set Bonus interface.
  • The value of Ecumenical Key Shards has increased to prevent them from being deleted when too many items are dropped nearby.
  • Ancient Spiritual Mages can now drop Dragon Boots.
  • Spiritual creatures within the Ancient Prison no longer drop Bones (because they don’t have any!).
  • The alchemy value of Blood Essence has been reduced.
  • Active Blood Essence is no longer alchable.
  • Fixed an issue where players would not receive loot if they joined an instance at the same moment the boss fight began.


Particularly sharp players will also have spotted a few hotfixes introduced between updates to ensure everything was running smoothly. For your convenience, here’s a big ol’ list of those:


[h3]Previous Changes[/h3]

  • Players who have completed the Hard and above Combat Achievements can now have friends join their privately rented Nex instance.
    • To do so, you and your friend will both need to be added and showing as ‘online’ in the Friends’ List, and you must both be on the same world.
    • Only the player creating the instance will need to have completed the relevant Combat Achievements.
    • These privately rented instances are capped at a maximum of 20 players and you are still required to gain Ancient Essence before being able to enter the boss room.
  • The maximum number of players able to take on Nex at any one time has been reduced from 80 to 60. In addition:
    • Nex's attacks will now hit more players.
    • Nex will no longer preserve the order of special attacks between phases.
    • Nex's 1-attack delay has been removed on Soul Split and now activates immediately during her final phase.
  • Nex will now ‘flip’ even if she's in the centre of the room.
  • The base value of Blood Essence has been decreased while the value of all Torva pieces, the Nihil Horn, completed Zaryte Crossbow) and Zaryte Vambraces has been increased.
  • The Supply Drop quantity has been decreased in higher-scaled Nex encounters.
  • Players can now wear either a Gas Mask, Facemask or Slayer Helm to slightly reduce the duration of the
  • cough* effect as part of Nex’s smoke mechanic.
  • The door of the Ancient Prison will now warn players if they have items remaining to be collected from the Chest.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Other Changes [/h2]

  • The south-west corner of the Duel Arena area is now a safe zone on PvP worlds.
  • After tagging an impling successfully with a Binding spell, you now have a few seconds of grace during which other players cannot attempt to catch 'your' impling.
  • Added an Account Deletion button on iOS, which can be found in the Useful Links section of the Account Management tab. This button links to the Personal Data Rights page where you can request the permanent removal of your personal data and choose to disable your account.
    • This will not appear for Game Center-created accounts that have not linked to a RuneScape account.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]PvP World Rota[/h2]

The PvP rota has moved to Period B:
  • 560 - (UK) - PvP World
  • 579 - (US) - High-Risk PvP World
  • 561 - (UK) - Free-to-Play PvP World
  • 580 - (US) - LMS Competitive

World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been de-activated with this rota.

[hr][/hr]
Discuss this update on our official forums, on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the#gameupdate channel. For reference on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.

Mods Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, Banjo, Boko, Brow, Bruno, Con, Curse, Daizong, Deagle, Dibber, Ditto, Dylan, Ed, Elena, Errol, Fed, Gecko, Grub, Halo, Havik, Hornet, Husky, Jalo, John C, Kandosii, Katies, Kamon, Kieren, Kirby, KT, Kurotou, Lenny, Light, Lottie, Mack, Matheus, Maylea, Markos, Meat, Morty, Nasty, Nin, Nylu, Oasis, Peppers, Regent, Redfield, Roq, Ry, Sarnie, Sigma, Skylark, Sova, Squid, Steve W, Tide, Torrance, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Zuko

The Old School Team