1. Old School RuneScape
  2. News

Old School RuneScape News

Server Login Issues - Thursday, March 11th



In yesterday's Server Login Issues update, the RuneScape Team shared the promising progress that's been made towards restoring accounts and resolving the ongoing login issue.

They also clarified that beginning today (March 11th) a small number of affected players will face temporarily restrictions preventing them from accessing their game accounts. This step is essential for the account restoration process.

All players affected by this restriction will have by now received a confirmation email.

Whilst the account issues are confined to RuneScape characters, the structure of our accounts system means that a small number of affected players will also be unable to log-in to Old School until the restoration work is completed.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]What You'll See If Your Account Has Been Restricted[/h2]

Firstly, this only applies to players who have been contacted via email and inbox message, as described above. The messaging you'll see isn't the clearest, so let's show you what you might see!

Log in using username / email & password

On desktop

On mobile

On our website


Log in using Steam

On desktop

On our website


Log in using Apple / Google / Facebook

On mobile

On our website

[hr][/hr]
We'd like to thank you for your patience whilst work continues to resolve the issue and get you back in-game.


The Old School Team

Game Update Postponed - March 9th



Following yesterday evening's announcement from Mod Warden and the RuneScape Team regarding the recent Server Login Issues, we've opted to postpone this week's game update. We've made this decision to ensure that the best and brightest at Jagex can remain entirely focused on helping the affected RuneScape accounts.

We'll still be live with our weekly Q&A on Thursday March 11th at the usual time of 17:00 GMT. With next week's game update, on Wednesday March 17th, you can look forward to Shooting Stars and some quality of life updates. Get eggcited for the following week's game update, on Wednesday 24th March, where we'll be bringing you this year's Easter holiday event as well as Tempoross, the Fishing Skill Boss.

Thanks for your patience and your understanding.


The Old School Team

This is Old School: Questing & Skilling



So, by now you should have a grasp of the basics when it comes to the world of Gielinor (if you don’t, make sure you read Old School RuneScape 101. Now it’s time to get acquainted with the REALLY good stuff now we've launch on Steam!

Today we’ll be focusing on two of the key parts of your RuneScape journey - mastering skills and embarking on quests.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]'92 is half of 99’ – Skilling in Old School[/h2]



Skills are the bread and butter of Old School. There are 23 in total, and you can level these up by gaining XP through various actions, from killing monsters to chopping trees. Levelling allows you to unlock new activities: better equipment, locations, quests and much, much more. 15 skills are available to free-to-play adventurers, while members have unfettered access to all 23!

There are four skill types within Old School – Combat (various forms of fighting), Artisan (using resources to create useful items), Gathering (amassing raw materials) and Support (other cunning abilities that assist you in your quest).

Here’s how that all breaks down:


Combat



Attack

Strength

Defence

Ranged

Prayer

Magic

Hitpoints



Artisan



Herblore

Crafting

Fletching

Smithing

Cooking

Firemaking

Runecraft

Construction



Gathering



Mining

Fishing

Woodcutting

Farming

Hunter



Support



Agility

Thieving

Slayer


For a quick description of every skill, head here. Some will help you to progress, some will enable you to take down greater foes and some will be your ticket to much-needed gold!

Whilst every level gained is an achievement, the pinnacle of Old School is the fabled level 99 - the true sign of skill mastery! Reaching it grants you a coveted Max Skillcape to wear and show off to your friends.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]‘One Small Favour’ - Questing and story in Old School[/h2]



What truly sets Old School apart is its story – the deep lore, absorbing quests and vast, living world. Over 20 years in, Old School boasts a whopping 147 individual quests (and counting!) full of vivid characters and diverse environments. 21 of them can be accessed in the free version of the game, while 126 are for members only.

Early quests are easier, be it the iconic standalone ‘Cook’s Assistant’ fetch-quest; ‘Priest in Peril’, which opens up the mysterious vampyric world of Morytania; or ‘X Marks the Spot’, which will introduce you to the ever-lucrative Clue Scrolls.

Before long though, you’ll be tackling Intermediate, Experienced, Master and Grandmaster quests, each bringing greater challenges than the last. From Yanni Salika’s ‘One Small Favour’ (if you know, you know), to slaying dragons and even resolving an ancient civil war in ‘Song of the Elves’ – it’s all in a day’s work for a budding adventurer!

Quests are the most direct way of immersing yourself into the world of Gielinor, but story permeates every facet of the game – from humorous NPC interactions to the rich and ancient tomes in the Library of Varrock. If you’re looking for juicy plot, you’ve come to the right place. We've got SO MUCH of it.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Go on – try it for yourself![/h2]



There is much to discover in Old School – and we’ve barely touched on the perilous world of Combat yet (don’t worry, we’ll get to that soon).

Our advice? Jump in and explore. Immerse yourself in the rich and bountiful world of Gielinor – and while you’re at it, let us know how you get on in the Steam Hub. There are loads of friendly faces to help you with anything, from finding a quest item to learning the most efficient way to catch a Chinchompa.

Until next time, future adventurer!


The Old School Team

Login and Billing Issues - March 5th 2021 (Updated: March 5th - 15:45 GMT)

[h2]UPDATE: March 5th - 15:45 GMT[/h2]
The planned billing maintenance is now complete, and you'll be able to make purchases as normal.

We'll continue to monitor both the login situation and the billing situation closely over the weekend.

We'd like to thank you for your patience and your continued support.

[hr][/hr]
UPDATE: March 5th - 13:10 GMT
You're likely to encounter some payment issues as a result of expected billing maintenance beginning at 14:00 GMT.

We expect the maintenance to last around an hour. No payments will be processed during this time.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.


[hr][/hr]
UPDATE: 20:43 GMT

We're happy to report our login servers are coming back online, and services should be back to normal.

We thank you for your understanding and patience, and we apologise for any inconvenience.

We'll continue to monitor the situation.

[hr][/hr]
20:05 GMT: Work is still continuing to restore our login services - we have no significant milestones to report just yet, but good progress is being made.

We hope to have more substantial news to share soon.

[hr][/hr]
18:25 GMT: We're investigating renewed reports of login issues.

As earlier, we'd recommend avoiding dangerous activities, and world hopping until further notice.

We're sorry for the inconvenience, and we'll update you as soon as we have more to share.

[hr][/hr]
17:10 GMT: We're hoping to bring our login servers back up within the hour. Upon login, it's possible that some players may find they have lost up to 15 minutes of progress.

We're looking forward to getting you back in-game - sorry for the inconvenience, and we'd like to thank you for your patience.

[hr][/hr]
15:00 GMT: We're currently investigating reports of login issues. We recommend avoiding world hopping and any high risk or dangerous activities until further notice. Apologies for any inconvenience.

We thank you for your patience during this time, and we'll update this page when we have more news to share.

OldSchool RuneScape 101



Welcome to the first ever This Is Old School RuneScape blog! For those of you have yet to join the world of Gielinor, or maybe haven’t paid it a visit for a long time, we’ll be taking you through what makes Old School… well... Old School, all the way up to its release.

Sit back, grab a cuppa and prepare for your upcoming adventure!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]What is Old School RuneScape?[/h2]



RuneScape is an open world fantasy MMORPG that is always evolving. Cooked up by three brothers in the early 2000s, it has a rich history spanning over 20 years, and by 2013 had evolved into a sleek, modern game with a contemporary visual style. However, we knew that some of our players preferred the RuneScape they used to know, so in 2013 we released Old School RuneScape (Classic RuneScape as it was back in 2007) with its distinctive look and nostalgic point-and-click gameplay.

And we haven't been twiddling our thumbs since, either - we've been hard at work releasing brand-new content that stays true to Old School's roots. To keep us in check, all new content is voted on by our community. Our players take to the polls to decide what's added!

Old School has something for everyone. We're sure you'll fall in love with our memorable quests, iconic skills, community-driven design and many challenges to master.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]An Epic World Filled With Adventures[/h2]



There’s so much to do in Old School – and adventure is calling! This is a world two decades in the making, filled with rich lore, memorable characters, iconic locations and looming threats from secessionist elves and ancient terrors. This is a world you can savour, whether you are on an epic quest, like the iconic 'Dragon Slayer' and the apocalyptic 'The Fremennik Exiles', or just on a mission to beat stuff up!

Speaking of which, there’s plenty of combat to sink your teeth into in Old School. From Melee to Magic to Archery, there are many ways to take on the assorted denizens of Gielinor, who range from demons to dragons and loot-dropping mega bosses. For the monster-hunting enthusiasts out there, there’s even a skill associated with killing specific types of enemies!

As you hone your Combat skills, group bosses like the indomitable Nightmare along with arenas such as the Theatre of Blood and the God Wars Dungeon will present the ultimate test – and if you’re feeling extra brave, the Wilderness awaits for some optional PvP showdowns.

Whether you are going it alone or exploring with friends, your choices define your adventure. You get to play however YOU want!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]It’s All About Those 99s[/h2]



We can’t chat RuneScape without talking about our iconic skilling! Old School has 23 skills to train, with everything from Combat-based skills to artisan abilities like Farming, Crafting, Runecraft, Mining and Smithing.

These skills intertwine throughout the game experience, unlocking new quests and powerful upgrades to help you in combat, or opening up entire new areas for you to explore. You’ll use them to grow your power and wealth on your adventures as you set out to earn the coveted Skill Level 99.

Skilling is also where Old School shines as the perfect second-screen game. While investing your full attention will help you to optimise your gains, most skills can easily be trained – whether you’re on the go on mobile or just catching up on the day’s news. How and when you skill is, like all things RuneScape, entirely up to you.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Polling[/h2]



Polls are in-game votes in which players can express their preferences for certain changes within Old School. A feature is successful if it has achieved over 75% Yes votes when the poll closes. As of 2021 there have been 184 polls, a total of 2499 questions, and a mammoth 6.9 million votes cast!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Our Incredible Community[/h2]



Time is the great creator of deep, meaningful communities – and with Old School, you're diving into a world with 20 YEARS of rich history! Yep, our game is older than Steam itself!

From legendary in-game moments like the Falador Massacre through to the annual community celebration that is the Golden Gnome Awards, Old School's players are the beating heart of Gielinor that bring the world to life. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the buzz of being surrounded by hundreds of fellow adventurers flocking to a new piece of content!

Old School also gives you plenty of opportunities to connect with other players with chat features and World Themes bringing like-minded people closer together.

The depth of our community extends far beyond the game too, with intricate cosplay, jaw-dropping art and binge-watchable videos delighting us all every day. As developers, we also do our best to stay connected to our community with regular livestreams and initiatives like the Ninja Dojo, where players can guide a strike team on key quality of life improvements for the game.

This all culminates in our regular community event, RuneFest - a whole convention dedicated to RuneScape and its players... although unfortunately not last year, as you would probably expect!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Membership[/h2]



While RuneScape is free-to-play, Membership allows you to experience Old School on its grandest scale.

Members can explore a world three times larger than the free-to-play experience, with over 125 more epic quests to conquer, and eight additional skills to master. You can learn more about Membership here.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Begin Your Journey[/h2]



Old School RuneScape is such a big game that we have barely scratched the surface, but hopefully our 101 got you up to speed on some of the basics. Until next time, new adventurer!

The Old School Team