RuneScape ‘fossil-itates’ the introduction of dinosaurs with the launch of The Land Out of Time

Tuesday 9th July 2019, Cambridge, UK – Bringing an array of deadly dinosaurs to RuneScape for the very first time, the game’s major summer content update – The Land Out of Time – is now available, enabling adventurers to delve into Gielinor’s distant, prehistoric past. The launch trailer is below



Available to all RuneScape members, The Land Out of Time sees the introduction of Anachronia, a long-forgotten primordial landmass with its ferocious inhabitants, including Gielinor’s own breeds of Triceratops, Pterodactyls, and mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.

In addition to a brand-new island to explore, The Land Out of Time also delivers new activities to master, new creatures to hunt and slay, a base for players to build with gathered resources, as well as the longest agility course ever constructed in RuneScape, challenging players to traverse the entire perimeter of Anachronia.

The Land Out of Time introduces:

Big Game Hunter: High-intensity activity featuring the tracking and trapping of giant dinosaurs
New Slayer monsters to overcome: Defeat new creatures and the deadly fauna that populate Anachronia
The longest agility course in RuneScape history! Traverse around the entire landmass and boost your Agility skill, and fast travel in style
Set up camp: Level up your base camp, established in the ruins of a forgotten civilisation on the island, through skilling and resource gathering
The Land Out of Time is the latest in several RuneScape updates set to launch over the next year that will uncover Gielinor’s ancient past, including new quests and activities. A prologue quest, Desperate Times, was released in May, while players helped the in-game shipbuilders gather resources to finish a ship seaworthy enough to reach the new landmass, utilising eight different skills including Farming, Magic, Smithing, and Crafting, in the recent limited time event, Breaking the Storm.

Dave Osborne, Lead Designer, RuneScape, said:

“We’re really excited that after 11 years the shipbuilders of Varrock have finally finished their ship and we can set sail to The Land Out of Time. Today’s launch brings significant new ways to play in RuneScape, not least the deadly cat-and-mouse game with our dinosaurs in Big Game Hunter, and the longest agility course in Gielinor ever, which goes around the entire landmass of Anachronia. We can’t wait to begin revealing more of the mystery surrounding the island over the months ahead!”

The island of Anachronia is accessible for players of all experience levels, with some activities needing different tiers of skill requirements in order to take part. Big Gaming Hunter requires at least level 75 in Hunting, while the new Slayer master – Lanniakea – requires players to have at least level 90 in the Slayer skill before she doles out new cluster tasks to complete.

RuneScape brings a Jurassic spark to the MMO with ‘The Land Out of Time’

Wednesday 22nd May 2019, Cambridge, UK – The roars of creatures long dead are set to sound in RuneScape in July with the arrival of a brand-new landmass – and dinosaurs – to its world of Gielinor, Jagex today announced in a teaser trailer.

Pulled from the ancient past by the recently revealed antagonist Kerapac, the new environment of Anachronia – The Land Out of Time – sees players arrive on the dino-inhabited island to try and track the dragonkin as he continues working on his mysterious and nefarious plan.

Available for RuneScape members, the island’s ancient shores and deadly jungles will be accessible to new, current and returning players alike. Adventurers looking to follow the storyline over future updates require just three skills (Mining, Smithing, and Divination) to be level 50 or above, along with the completion of two quests: The Needle Skips and You Are It.

Promising a host of new and exciting places to explore, along with new skilling activities, more information about The Land Out of Time will be released throughout June towards launch.

RuneScape launches stunning conclusion to the Elite Dungeon Trilogy

Monday 25th February 2019, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape is calling on all seasoned adventurers to plunge into the underwater depths of The Shadow Reef, the third and concluding chapter of the game’s Elite Dungeons storyline, which launches today. Set in the ancient sunken temple of Ulthven Kreath, players face a hostile environment full of aggressive enemies before a chilling encounter with The Ambassador, a malevolent creature that dwells in the deep.

The Elite Dungeons are a series of three dungeons with an over-arching storyline, where players can buddy up or go solo in raid-like experiences, and are available to all RuneScape members.


As with the previous two Elite Dungeons, The Shadow Reef includes a story mode option, enabling players to focus on the unravelling narrative, with enemies having reduced health and combat strength, although reward drops only come from boss encounters.

Dave Osborne, RuneScape Lead Designer, said:

“Last summer, we created Elite Dungeons to combine engaging storylines with raid-like dungeon experiences. The Shadow Reef brings that questline to an epic conclusion, as players uncover the secrets beneath the inky waters of Gielinor, and experience an unforgettable encounter with The Ambassador, which will push players to the limit, whether adventuring as a team or solo.

“We know that The Shadow Realm appeals to a wide variety of RuneScape players, whether that’s the ‘skillers’ who are looking to level up  their combat skills, the ‘questers’ who love delving into adventures, or the ‘challengers’ – players that are seeking to overcome the dangerously deadly dungeon, to secure the best rewards possible in the fastest time possible.”

The first parts of the trilogy, The Temple of Aminishi and Dragonkin Laboratory, were both released during summer 2018, and had to be completed chronologically by players. However, with today’s launch of The Shadow Reef, the three Elite Dungeons can be completed in any order, removing a barrier for high-level players looking to test their combat skills and meet with The Ambassador.

RuneScape reworks original skills as it reaches 18th anniversary milestone

Monday 7th January 2019, Cambridge, UK – Marking its 18th birthday, RuneScape today introduced a major update to its Mining and Smithing skills, two of the original skills that launched with the game in 2001.

The reworked skills provide players, both newcomers and veterans, with new rewards and gameplay mechanics. Four new tiers of armour and weapons have been introduced, Smithing now becomes the most valuable non-combat skill in the game, as well as the ability to craft the masterwork and trimmed masterwork armour – the best melee armours in RuneScape.

An overhaul of both skills was one of the most wanted updates highlighted by the game’s community in recent player surveys. The development team have worked closely with the community, holding two beta tests during 2018 and using player feedback to further refine the experience.


David Osborne, Lead Designer, RuneScape, said:

“Reaching our 18th anniversary is an incredible milestone and it’s apt two of the original skills that launched way back in 2001 have been given a new lease of life. The Mining & Smithing update has been a thoroughly collaborative effort with the community, with polls and beta tests providing invaluable input as we fine-tuned and polished the new mechanics and armour.”

RuneScape features 27 different skills, trainable abilities that are levelled up during play and shape each player’s in-game character. Mining enables players to extract ore from rocks, and Smithing sees players smelt ore into metal bars and crafting armour and weapons. In addition to ‘away from keyboard’ mining and advances to armour smithing, the skills update also includes four new tiers of ore and metal, and a new ore bank for storage. Full details on the comprehensive rework are available to read on the official RuneScape website.

With over 260 million accounts registered in its 18-year lifetime, RuneScape continues to look to the future with new content in the works for release in 2019, in addition to the living game’s platform expansion to mobile devices.

It’s murder most Gielinor, as RuneScape launches time-travelling murder mystery ‘The Needle Skips’

November 2018, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape has today launched a new murder mystery, The Needle Skips, that sees players twist through time in a bid to uncover the truth behind the dastardly crime. First announced last month at RuneFest 2018, The Needle Skips is the latest in a long tradition of innovative RuneScape murder mystery quests released over the past 17 years.

Beginning at a stone monument, a lone figure lying dead at its base, and a single word apparently scrawled in blood, it follows a family living locally to the needle-shaped monument that – thanks to its original use by the elder gods – is enveloped in a time bubble. As players interact with the monument they are drawn deeper into the mystery and loop through time to find out the answers, uncovering clue words and through their investigation, they will unlock glimpses of the past in a bid to find the truth and save those trapped in the bubble.

The release of The Needle Skips also marks the 400th quest point available to players of the game. The points, which are unlocked as adventurers complete the various 221 quests in RuneScape, unlock rewards and allow access to further quests.

Jamie Brooks, Producer, RuneScape, said:

“We’ve enjoyed working on murder mysteries in the past, especially One Piercing Note, and The Needle Skips provides a fresh and innovative take for RuneScape players to put their investigative minds to the test. The use of audio and voiceover dialogue as a gameplay mechanic in the quest really sets it apart from our previous murder mysteries. What started as an internal game jam project has developed into an engaging story that we hope our community will lap up as they unpeel the story.”

The release of RuneScape’s latest adventure comes as Jagex launches this year’s Premier Club https://www.runescape.com/premier-club, the best value opportunity for RuneScape players to secure up to 12 months of discounted membership to both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, as well as rewards such as an exclusive Valkyrie outfit, and an artefact that offers additional benefits.

RuneScape’s record-breaking library of original music to be officially released for the very first time

RuneScape’s record-breaking library of original music to be officially released for the very first time
New orchestral music and classic tracks from Jagex’s iconic MMORPGs head to vinyl, CD & digital via a new partnership with Laced Records.

Watch “RuneScape: The Road to Harmony”, featuring The Philharmonia Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, here:


9am, Friday 14th September 2018, Cambridge, UK – For the very first time, iconic music from both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape has been officially released to stream and purchase, publisher Jagex announced today. Thanks to a new partnership with Laced Records, two albums – RuneScape: The Orchestral Collection and RuneScape: Original Soundtrack Classics – are available digitally right now and are open for pre-order on CD and double deluxe vinyl albums.

Pre-Order via Laced Records:
North America: http://www.lacedrecords.com
ROW: http://www.lacedrecords.co

Featuring music rearranged by BAFTA award-winning composer James Hannigan (Harry Potter, Command & Conquer, Dead Space 3) and performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra at the world-renowned Abbey Road Studios in December 2017 and by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra in Bratislava in 2012, RuneScape: The Orchestral Collection takes listeners on a classical journey to the fantasy world of Gielinor. The tracks from the Abbey Road sessions are all new compositions or new arrangements of classic tracks, with many making their debut on the album.

RuneScape: Original Soundtrack Classics takes a much more nostalgic journey through some of the most loved tracks from Old School RuneScape and the early days of RuneScape. The vinyl album is arranged to follow the first journey a player might have taken through Gielinor. The CD and digital versions include an incredible 19 bonus tracks, bursting with player favourites that would have been wrong to leave out. Pre-ordering the vinyl versions will also unlock digital copies, allowing people to enjoy their favourite tracks without delay!

RuneScape currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most original pieces of music in a video game (including expansions), with 1,198 tracks (July 2017). This figure has been growing ever since the game’s release in 2001, and in the last 12 months alone swelled to 1,228 tracks. Jagex’s partnership with Laced is a direct response to an online poll in 2017 that saw over 15,000 members of the RuneScape community overwhelmingly tell Jagex how much they wanted to see this library of music released, as well as what their favourite tracks are.

Additional music from the library are planned for release in themed collections over the coming months, beginning with two further soundtrack albums from RuneScape available digitally today RuneScape: The Arc and RuneScape: Menaphos.

“Jagex has an open dialogue with its community, involving players in how we develop the game and listening to what they have to say,” said Guy Pearce, Director of Brand and Creative Production.

“The community has been telling us for a long time that RuneScape’s music is, for many, the soundtrack to their youth and that they would like it to be more easily available. So, we’re thrilled to be able to make original, current and classical versions of some of their favourite tracks available for them to listen to where, when and how they want. This includes new previously unheard arrangements by James Hannigan, recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Abbey Road last year.

“Holding the Guinness World Record for most original pieces of music in a video game is a huge source of pride for Jagex. Together these releases show the extent of the musical journey we have been on and we hope past, current and future players will enjoy them.”


Available Formats:

RuneScape: The Orchestral Collection
Deluxe Double Vinyl: 26 tracks pressed on 180g black vinyl, packaged in a deluxe gatefold sleeve featuring brand new artwork (RRP: €33.00 / $35.00)

Deluxe Double CD: Presented in deluxe packaging featuring 33 tracks (RRP: €14.00 / $15.00)

Digital Download / Streaming: 33 tracks available to download or stream from all major retailers (RRP Varies)

RuneScape: Original Soundtrack Classics
Deluxe Double Vinyl: 24 tracks pressed on 180g red vinyl, packaged in a deluxe gatefold sleeve featuring brand new artwork (RRP: €33.00 / $35.00)

Deluxe Double CD: Presented in deluxe packaging featuring 43 tracks (RRP: €14.00 / $15.00)

Digital Download / Streaming: 43 tracks available to download or stream from all major retailers (RRP Varies)

RuneScape: The Arc
Digital Download / Streaming: 20 tracks available to download or stream from all major retailers (RRP Varies)

RuneScape: Menaphos
Digital Download / Streaming: 32 tracks available to download or stream from all major retailers (RRP Varies)

RuneScape launches its very first Elite Dungeon

Tuesday 26th June 2018, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape has today launched its very first Elite Dungeon, the Temple of Aminishi, which invites brave players to go solo or buddy up and defeat mobs, mini-bosses and a triple threat of aquatic antagonists, including a giant chained-up serpent – Seiryu the Azure Serpent, the spirit of water.

Located in The Arc archipelago, The Temple of Aminishi – and future Elite Dungeons – offers a greater level of accessibility than traditional in-game dungeons, including access for solo players for a greater challenge, and a story mode option that reduces enemy damage but decreases the chance of unlocking rewards.

The Temple of Aminishi is open to all RuneScape members, and players don’t need to be high-level. For RuneScape novices, a boat from Port Sarim will take them directly to Aminishi after the completing the ‘Impressing the Locals’ novice quest.

Those who do manage to overcome Seiryu, and the other bosses and mini-bosses, will secure a selection of rewards, including a new cosmetic outfit, weapon, tier 82-92 equipment, as well as raise their Dungeoneering skill and receive the title ‘Acolyte of Seiryu’.

Dave Osborne, Lead Designer, RuneScape, said:
“Elite Dungeons are a great way of delivering raid-like experiences without having to gather together a large group of friends and clanmates. The launch of the Temple of Aminishi offers a brilliant way to experience the continuation of The Arc storyline we began in RuneScape a couple of years ago, with a compelling tale and challenging bosses to overcome. We’re really excited to see what players think as they battle their way to Seiryu’s chamber and learn the secrets of the azure water serpent.”

The Temple of Aminishi will be quickly followed with a second Elite Dungeon, scheduled for the living game later in the summer. RuneScape is also currently holding its annual Summer Special promotion, giving players the chance to bag three months of membership for the price of two, Hellion Armour and three-month membership of Old School RuneScape. Further information on Summer Special can be found at the official RuneScape website.

https://www.runescape.com/summer-special

RuneScape’s toughest boss yet emerges from The Lost Grove

Tuesday 29th May 2018, Cambridge, UK – The tormented ‘Guardian of The Lost Grove’, Solak, has today returned to the RuneScape world of Gielinor after many millennia. The first new group boss to launch in RuneScape since January 2017, Solak is a high-level, end-game character that can be fought against in a couple of ways, allowing either a challenging or accessible experience: a two-player mode and a group mode for between one and seven players.

While no specific level requirements are needed to battle Solak, adventurers looking to take on the Guardian should ensure they gather together a strong team with high-level combat gear. Should Solak be released from the evil elf spirit that controls him, players will be rewarded with new, powerful crossbows and access to new pets – the creatures of the grove.

Solak has also debuted in the real world thanks to a brand-new AR experience, with the release of two Snapcodes that bring the Guardian of the Lost Grove to life!

Pirate Sail into the Sunset as 13-Year RuneScape Questline Concludes

Tuesday 20th March 2018, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape returns to the high seas today, launching Pieces of Hate, the epic finale to one of the MMORPG’s longest running stories. The concluding voyage of the 13-year old pirate quest series challenges players as they dive into the depths of underwater expeditions, conquer sea monsters, and battle zombie pirates, and is released just two weeks after RuneScape introduced deep-sea fishing into the game for the first time.

In addition to tying up the loose ends of the pirates’ tale, Pieces of Hate contributes to the foundations of RuneScape’s next five years of rich narratives and immersive adventures. The new quest invites skilled players to plunder its riches, including an upgrade to the Book o’Piracy, which allows players to teleport across various locations throughout Gielinor and can be recharged using rum (of course!).

RuneScape has also made sure players have a whale of a time with the launch of deep-sea fishing, an all-new offshore hub to the game. Available to adventurers with at least level 68 Fishing, players can cast their nets and catch a whole variety of surprises, from jellyfish to great whites, and reel in that fishing XP to gain extra rewards. Only the bravest of buccaneers who dare travel farther out to sea will bag the most valuable loot, but they will also face the greatest dangers.

Dave Osborne, Lead Designer, RuneScape, said:
“It’s really astonishing to have reached the end of the pirates’ tale after 13 years, so we’re thrilled that our players can experience the concluding events in Pieces of Hate. The team has worked hard to deliver an exciting end to the story, especially to those waiting since 2005, and we can’t wait to build on it as part of our narrative arcs for the next five years. The recent launch of deep-sea fishing has already enticed the greatest fishers from across Gielinor to experience the new activity hub; it’s a great way to level up the skill and it’s so rewarding to see our players agree!”

Quest Requirements
Clockwork Syringe (quest completion)
Gertrude's Cat (quest completion)
Level 83 Agility - (Need the run energy for the invasion minigame and it's the best reference for swimming)
Level 85 Thieving - (pirates, yarr. Also explains lockpicking and so forth for puzzles)
Level 82 Firemaking - (Setting fire to Crassian eggs)
Level 81 Construction - (Repairing things for the invasion)

Clue Scroll Rework Offers RuneScape Players a Chance to Snatch Valuable In-Game Rewards

Tuesday 27th February 2018, Cambridge, UK – One of the most wanted updates from RuneScape’s 2017 player survey is now available with the arrival of enhanced and advanced Clue Scrolls system, which enables players to snatch the most valuable in-game rewards in the game’s Treasure Trails activity. The new Clue Scrolls update also unlocks the eye-wateringly-difficult Master Tier of riddles and puzzles, and the potential to uncover some of the most valuable treasure in the entire MMORPG.

 

RuneScape’s Clue Scrolls content sets players off on treasure hunt, with a series of clues, riddles and puzzles that lead towards a buried treasure. With the arrival of the Master Tier, Clue Scrolls now has five levels of both difficulty and rewards. Players completing Master Tier hunts stand the chance of finding over 60 new rewards of extremely high in-game value, including Second Age armour, evening outfits, and the high-level elite Robin Hood outfit, representing some of the most valuable non-discontinued items available.

 

While the new Master Tier provides the ultimate challenge, at its heart the new Clue Scrolls now offers a more streamlined and entertaining experience, including the ability to stash items required in convenient locations. The new Clue Scroll experience also sees the launch of a new meta, with high scores to beat, a collection log, and even a brand-new Globetrotter Outfit.

 

Said Matt Casey, Senior Product Manager, RuneScape:

“When we spoke to our players at RuneFest 2017, we wanted to make it clear that we would be delivering some of their most desired updates to RuneScape throughout 2018. With the full launch of the Clue Scroll rework we’re beginning to do just that, whether it’s the hardcore challenge of the Master Tier, or the incredibly desirable rewards at the end of the trails.”

 

In addition to the Clue Scroll overhaul, this month saw the release of two teasers for future updates: a taster of the long-awaited Bank Rework– which came top in the 2017 player survey – and a beta of the Mining and Smithing skills update.