'Old School RuneScape' Is Finally Coming To Steam

RuneScape and Old School RuneScape are on their way to Steam, as announced by Jagex yesterday.

Andrew and Paul Gower brothers living in their parents' house in Nottingham, developed and released the fantasy browser game RuneScape in 2001. From humble beginnings, its popularity rose exponentially, and it holds a special place in lots of gamers' hearts. I only played RuneScape for like a week, but I remember really vibing with it. That's its impact right there.

Over the years, RuneScape got additions like new modes, dinosaurs, raids, continents, and literal castles in the sky, but it's Old School RuneScape that actually has more players than its counterpart. Built from an version of RuneScape from 2007, it preserves the crunchy goodness of the original MMO, bar a cluster of engine improvements, new content, and quality of life overhauls.

Its arrival on Steam is part of Jagex's plan to "bring RuneScape to new places, find new adventurers from new locations, and make RuneScape a more accessible, more cross-platform MMORPG that you can enjoy anywhere." Executive producer Mod Warden called Steam "one of the world's ultimate gaming destinations," and assured that the game will get achievements, badges, and trading cards. In addition, players will be able to connect an existing RuneScape account to the Steam version to continue their journeys.

"We will continue to work with our partners to bring RuneScape everywhere we can, and to make it more accessible than ever," hinted the executive producer. "You will see us integrate with alternative account services, on new platforms and become available in different stores." The mere mention of new platforms is very intriguing. Naturally, Warden could be referring to digital distribution platforms, which is what Steam is. We might see RuneScape pop up on the Epic Games Store or GOG.com, for example, in the future. Or, they mean platforms in the more conventional sense of the word. The mobile version of RuneScape for iOS and Android has been chugging along since 2018. But, what about RuneScape for the Switch?

"This is all about offering new ways to access RuneScape and appeal to new communities of players," they said. Let's not get too hasty here, but it is an interesting line of thought for the classic MMO. Warden elaborated that RuneScape and Old School RuneScape will receive changes such as "improving the early game experience, onboarding and readability," and improvements to the UI like "from refining text, content, interaction and hitbox sizes, to engine improvements and stability that support flexibility across the widest array of possible display sizes." This is applicable to the game's mobile launch in 2021, but it is Jagex's intention to support all versions equally.

RuneScape launches on Steam on October 14, followed by Old School RuneScape, which will launch in 2021.Featured Image Credit: Jagex

Topics: Steam