In June, Jagex made a significant mark by hosting its largest live event to date, the Deadman All Stars, a PvP tournament for Old School RuneScape (OSRS), outside the UK. At this event, I had the opportunity to engage with Kieren Charles, the creative director of OSRS, who shared his insights on managing this 13-year-old iteration of the iconic MMO, which itself has been around for 25 years. Charles remarked, “The game’s bigger now than it was in 2007,” highlighting the impressive growth and vitality of RuneScape. He noted that OSRS has now surpassed the age of the original RuneScape when it first launched in 2013. Last August, OSRS achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching an all-time high in player count, surpassing any previous era or version of the game, with Charles estimating over one million active subscribers dedicated solely to Old School.
Charles, a veteran of the RuneScape phenomenon, reminisced about his early experiences with the game, recalling, “I grew up with the game. I was 14 in the school library playing RuneScape. I was just the one who never quit.” His personal journey reflects the deep connection many players have with the game, particularly those from the mid-to-late millennial generation who witnessed the rise of MMOs in their formative years.
Wisdom of the crowd
The decision to anchor OSRS in the 2007 version of RuneScape was somewhat serendipitous. While the game initially launched in 2001 and underwent significant updates, including the notable “RuneScape 2” in 2004, Charles explained that the choice was “kind of arbitrary, but based on what players deemed the sort of golden age.” Interestingly, players had expressed a preference for the 2006 version, but a fortunate discovery by a Jagex employee of a 2007 server led to the revival of that iteration.
Old School RuneScape stands as a pioneering example of officially-supported ‘classic’ servers within the MMO landscape. Although fan servers had previously emerged to preserve older versions of games, Jagex’s approach has set a precedent that others, like WoW Classic, have followed. Charles believes that OSRS strikes a unique balance between community engagement and official support, allowing it to thrive in a way that fan-managed servers cannot match.
Regular updates, including substantial expansions like the upcoming Varlamore in 2024, ensure that OSRS remains fresh while retaining its nostalgic essence. Charles emphasized that new content must resonate with the Old School vibe, stating that one of the highest compliments he receives is when players feel that new additions could have seamlessly fit into the game back in ’06 or ’07. Importantly, all proposed features undergo a community vote, and only those that achieve a minimum of 70% approval are implemented, ensuring that player preferences guide the game’s evolution.
Charles articulated a vision for OSRS that is deeply rooted in community collaboration. “We are already running an MMO that’s entirely decided by fans, but it’s backed by a huge development team who could still do things that are at scale,” he explained. This collaborative approach, however, is not without its challenges. The team has faced rejections of features that they were passionate about, which can be disheartening. Yet, Charles expressed a preference for community feedback over investing extensive development time into features that may not resonate with players. “I’d still rather have a proposed addition get rejected than spend six months or a year of development time to then launch it and find out people hate it,” he noted.
While many successful games stem from singular artistic visions, Charles and his team view themselves more as caretakers of the OSRS legacy. “With Old School RuneScape, it’s what the community wants. We’re making it for them and looking after it for them,” he stated. His unique position as both a player and a creative director allows him to appreciate the community’s sentiments, fostering a commitment to preserve the game’s cherished foundation for future generations.
