Runescape Arrives on Steam

It’s been one of those weeks where a Wednesday feels like a Friday, hasn’t it? Maybe it is just me, but RuneScape’s Steam release has added to the slightly surreal feeling that’s settled over just about everything, lately.

The announcement of RuneScape coming to Steam was made on September 24th. This came along with plans to forge connections with new audiences of PC gamers. The news also surfaced after nearly 20 years of the game being exclusively available from the RuneScape website.

That day has arrived, with developer Jagex’s flagship project rapidly accruing popularity and warm reviews on the new platform from long-time fans. Other veteran players, though, have warned of persistent microtransactions and some content being walled off in the free-to-play base version of the game.

It comes with all the familiar Steam trappings: 20 achievements at present, trading cards, badges, and so on. This initial launch will also be followed by Old School RuneScape coming to Steam in early 2021, for those who prefer the original game.

Elsewhere, Jagex is continuing work on mobile versions of the game. While Android and iOS releases were originally scheduled for 2020, improvements for accessibility have rescheduled these releases for some time in 2021.

These improvements include enhancements to the early segments of the game for new players. Additionally, Jagex is working on “refining text, content, interaction and hitbox sizes,” and “engine improvements and stability that support flexibility across the widest array of possible display sizes.”

Making these changes should also benefit players on PC, though the timeline for greater accessibility on PC remains somewhat unclear at present. The Steam launch comes shortly before the opening of RuneScape‘s Orthen Dig Site, scheduled for October 19th. Provided players have their Archaeology skill at level 90 or higher, the dig site will enable players to uncover new story elements, find new Relics and potion recipes, and participate in a fossil-hunting community event.

If you dabbled in Old School RuneScape back in the day and then forgot about it, will you be picking it back up on the new platform? If you’re a new player altogether, will you be giving it a shot for the first time? Either way, it’s clear the game has a thriving community, with 270 million installations to date, and it’s reasonably safe to say this is far from the last we’ve heard of RuneScape.