Not just nostalgia
It’d be easy to assume this is pure nostalgia bait. “People are just reliving their childhoods.” But that doesn’t explain why new players are hopping in too.
RuneScape’s secret sauce is that it’s timeless. The version people are flocking to, Old School RuneScape (OSRS), came out in 2013 - itself a revival of the 2007 version. It has now outlasted the original game. And unlike most MMOs that erase your accomplishments every patch cycle (cough WoW cough), RuneScape actually respects your achievements.
Earn the hardest cape back in 2012? It’s still best-in-slot in 2025. That bow you spent weeks grinding for? Still top-tier in certain fights. Your time isn’t invalidated by the next expansion treadmill.
As someone who lived through WoW’s endless gear resets, this alone makes me jealous.
A community that actually votes
Here’s the wildest part: RuneScape developers put every major update up for a player vote. Not “feedback surveys” that get ignored. Actual binding votes. If the community says no, it doesn’t go in.
For years, players even voted against adding new skills. The devs literally had to campaign for updates like politicians begging for votes. Try imagining Blizzard doing that. (They’d rather nerf your class and tell you it’s for your own good.)
This approach means RuneScape avoided the fate of most MMOs: content bloat, abandoned zones, and mechanics that age like milk. Every stage of the game still has life, because the community polices what gets added.
Ugly, cute, iconic
Let’s address the goblin in the room: RuneScape still looks… rough. Blocky trees, stiff animations, faces that look like melted Play-Doh. But ask a fan and they’ll say it’s iconic.
In fact, people prefer the old-school graphics over the HD clients. It’s part of the charm - like pixel art that never goes out of style. And unlike games chasing photorealism, RuneScape isn’t competing with Unreal Engine tech demos. It knows what it is, and players love it for that.
Content that never dies
Most MMOs invalidate old content the second a new raid drops. RuneScape doesn’t. Every stage of progression - from newbie quests to endgame raids - still matters. That means whether you’re level 20 or maxed out, there’s always a living, breathing community at your stage.
It’s the opposite of WoW’s “rush to endgame or die” mentality. RuneScape lets every grind, every quest, every achievement matter.
So why now?
So why is RuneScape suddenly everywhere? A few reasons:
Streamers love it. Grinding makes for great cozy background streams.
Mobile client. You can play RuneScape on your phone, chipping away at XP during lunch breaks.
It’s timeless. OSRS isn’t nostalgia anymore. It’s a stable MMO that’s actually gotten better with age.
Respect. Players feel like the game respects their time and their accomplishments. That’s rare.
My WoW confession
I’ll be honest: I never touched RuneScape back in the day. I was too busy chain-running Molten Core, farming Netherwing reps, and crying when my guild broke up over loot drama. RuneScape was that other game - the one the “casual kids” played in computer labs.
But now? I’m tempted. The idea of an MMO that won’t wipe away my progress every expansion, one I can pick up and put down without losing my place, sounds… refreshing.
So maybe I’ll roll a RuneScape character. Worst case, I’ll bounce off the graphics. Best case? I’ll finally understand why an 18-year-old MMO is suddenly the most alive game on the internet.
