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RuneScape launched 20 years ago todayTwo decades down
Two decades down
On this day in history, January 4th, 2001,RuneScapewas born. Yes, yes, starting off 2021 feeling old now, aren’t we? The developers at Jagex have a big old bash planned to mark the game’s 20th birthday with an entire year of celebration, questing, and nostalgia. If you were trotting around Gielinor in your browser of choice all the way back at the beginning of the millenium, you may barely recognise the world this celebration takes place in.
“Two decades on,RuneScapehas become one of the world’s longest-running online games, having been played non-stop for 7,306 consecutive days,” Jagex say of the big anniversary. That’s a lot of days. As if to prove it, RuneScape’s celebration begins today with a month-long Grand Party hosted in Lumbridge Crater—a location that was added to the game in 2013, though it is near the town of Lumbridge you might remember starting out in. Feels a bit like hearing my youngest siblings recount fond highschool memories of teachers who didn’t arrive until after I’d graduated.
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So what’s RuneScape’s secret to surviving into the elder years of an MMO’s lifespan? Well, it’s been reinventing itself for years, for starters. All the way back in 2009, Kieron (RPS in pieces)talked with Jagexabout RuneScape’s (then) history and future. Since then, it’s continued making updates, including thenew engineback in 2016 and a Steam launch in October of last year.
If RuneScape manages to totter to a 30th birthday, imagine the anniversary celebration. I suppose that ten years from now they’ll be trotting out fond memories of characters and events from the storied year 2023, won’t they? Here’s to many more, RuneScape.
If you do happen to be jumping in for those festivities, you can peep the rest of the birthday details and today’s patch notes over inJagex’s post.
