Twelve years after its official launch, Old School RuneScape (OSRS) might be hitting a new platinum age as it is proving that some classics never die. The retro-styled MMORPG just hit a staggering 200,000 concurrent players this past weekend its highest in recent history prompting longtime developer Jagex to expand the game’s infrastructure with more servers to handle the surge.
Originally released in 2013 as a throwback to the golden era of RuneScape, OSRS is now undergoing a full blown resurgence. Much of the game’s renewed success is being credited to prominent content creators who have invested serious time and energy into revisiting the nostalgic experience. Combined with WOW streamers leaving WOW to try OSRS, new updates, OTK events and the cultural wave of millennial and Gen Z nostalgia, the momentum behind OSRS has reached a fever pitch that we have not seen in many years.
"We are immensely grateful for all of the support we’re being shown," the OSRS team posted on social media. "There are loads of amazing games out there and it means the world to us that so many of you are choosing to play OSRS." They then later on posted on social media about adding more servers for the surge of players hopping onto the servers.
With such high player demand, Jagex has taken the proactive step of upgrading OSRS’s backend infrastructure to add new server worlds. This move helps balance the load and ensures smoother gameplay across regions especially important with the imminent launch of Varlamore: The Final Dawn, a major content update dropping in just two days.
This update is expected to bring in even more players, both returning veterans and newcomers. By expanding capacity ahead of the content release, Jagex is preparing for another potential spike in engagement that could push OSRS to new record-breaking heights.
RuneScape first launched back in 2001, and despite evolving through various iterations, Old School RuneScape has arguably become its most beloved form. It offers players a purer, more community-driven MMO experience something that many feel has been lost in modern game design.
Now with 200K+ active players, creator support, and new expansions in the pipeline, OSRS is far more than a nostalgic artifact it’s a living, thriving MMO phenomenon.
The big question now is: just how much higher can it climb? We might see even more crazy numbers this week with the new update arriving as well as One True King (OTK) holding a large streamer event for the game. Here is OTK's official announcement post featuring all your favorite streamers.
What are your thoughts on all of this excitement and things happening on OSRS? Have you jumped into the game yet? Are you a new or returning player? Let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments!
Stay tuned to Gamefragger.com as Varlamore: The Final Dawn launches this week and OSRS’s unexpected second golden age / platinum age continues.