Pixel Sundays: RuneScape – From Browser MMO to an Entire Gaming Universe
Today, RuneScape stands as one of the most enduring MMORPGs in existence. This year, the franchise celebrates its 25th anniversary. However, its history begins much earlier with an initial version in the late 1990s. At the time, it was merely a small project by the Gower brothers named DeviousMUD. This eventually evolved into RuneScape in 2001, launching as a browser game with highly simplistic graphics but an extraordinary level of freedom.
Summary
- Before RuneScape – The Roots of DeviousMUD
- RuneScape Classic – An MMORPG That Ran Natively in the Browser
- RuneScape 2 Transforms the Browser Game into a Gaming Phenomenon
- RuneScape 3 vs. Old School RuneScape – A Franchise Takes Two Paths
- Card Games, Idle Games, and Melvor – RuneScape Experiments
- Dragonwilds Finally Turns RuneScape into a True Multi-Genre Franchise
- Conclusion: After 25 Years, RuneScape is Just Beginning to Become a Franchise
In the game, you can train a wide variety of skills, gather resources, complete quests, trade, engage in combat, and do much more within a massive persistent online world. Over the decades, this developed into a comprehensive brand featuring various spin-offs, idle games, and far beyond. With Dragonwilds released recently on September 15, the most significant attempt yet has been made to bring RuneScape into an entirely different genre.
Before RuneScape – The Roots of DeviousMUD
The history of the franchise begins with Andrew Gower, who was already working on an online role-playing game called DeviousMUD in the late 1990s. The first version of this game was created in 1998 alongside his brother Paul Gower. DeviousMUD featured extremely basic isometric graphics.
For this reason, the game can hardly be compared to the later RuneScape, yet the foundational concepts were already present. There were various characters, combat, trading, and interactions with other players and NPCs. However, this original version was never officially released.
In 1999, Andrew Gower launched his second attempt, extensively rewriting DeviousMUD. This version received a brief public beta, which was only available for about a week. Ultimately, this iteration was taken offline again, and the development underwent further revisions. This process eventually gave rise to the actual RuneScape.
This demonstrates that RuneScape did not simply emerge suddenly in 2001; rather, it was the result of years of prior experimentation. Many of the core philosophies originated from DeviousMUD. You are meant to decide your own path, free from rigidly prescribed character classes. By engaging in various activities, you progress in the game within a world that feels more like a living place than a linear campaign.
Development on what would later become RuneScape officially began in 1999. Today, Jagex itself cites 1999 as the start of development. The company was built around this time and officially founded in December 2001 by Andrew Gower, Paul Gower, and Constant Tedder.
RuneScape Classic – An MMORPG That Ran Natively in the Browser
On January 4, 2001, RuneScape went live to the public. Later, following the release of subsequent iterations, the game was rebranded as RuneScape Classic. The initial launch arrived as a beta developed by the Gower brothers. At the beginning, the project remained relatively small, with the brothers even working on it from their parents’ home. This highlights a stark contrast to modern MMO development.
At the time, RuneScape required no large installation, as the game ran directly in the browser. Consequently, the barrier to entry for players was exceedingly low. This accessibility was crucial in the early 2000s, allowing you to play the game in schools, libraries, and at home. Back then, most players did not own a personal PC, making the browser-based model perfect, especially for newcomers.
In RuneScape, you are not bound by a rigid class system, as you can train practically anything. Whether it is Attack, Strength, Defense, Mining, Smithing, Fishing, Cooking, Woodcutting, or Crafting, there were numerous skills, with more added over time. Skill progression was achieved through usage, gathering, crafting, or combat. This established the famous RuneScape grind, where you could dedicate hours to a single skill while enjoying the immense freedom provided by the classless system.
Naturally, the game also offered quests that differed significantly from those in many classic MMOs. They often featured short narratives filled with puzzles, humor, and dialogue. Some solutions were rather unconventional. Alongside these, there were, of course, traditional quests involving defeating ten enemies or gathering five items, but they were far from the only content available.
In 2002, the premium membership model was introduced, though the free-to-play version remained accessible. However, members received substantially more content. Over the decades, this model became the foundation of the game. As time passed, RuneScape continued to grow, attracting more players, expanding the world, and introducing new quests, skills, and equipment. Consequently, the technical limitations of Classic became increasingly apparent, prompting Jagex to develop a new version.
RuneScape 2 Transforms the Browser Game into a Gaming Phenomenon
RuneScape 2 was released on March 29, 2004. Accounts, stats, and items could be carried over from the first iteration, while the original game remained accessible as RuneScape Classic. RuneScape 2 subsequently adopted the primary RuneScape name. Technically, the new game represented a massive leap, featuring a new engine and modern rendering in a true 3D world with improved animations and new possibilities for future content.
This period was likely the most defining era for the entire RuneScape franchise. It featured beloved locations like Lumbridge, Varrock, and the Grand Exchange, which served as a massive trading hub. Many associate this era with killing cows, fishing for lobsters, sporting Rune armor as a status symbol, and achieving the first level 99 skills complete with their corresponding Skillcapes. The Party Hats, which hold immense value in the game, are also unforgettable fixtures of this time.
In 2008, RuneScape HD arrived, marking a significant graphical upgrade with a High-Detail mode. This provided better textures, advanced lighting, and a major visual modernization. It clearly illustrates that RuneScape has continuously adapted and evolved. Nevertheless, the game technically remained closely tied to its origins. Over time, the game was steadily expanded, resulting in a world that grew continuously.
However, this constant cycle of changes within the same game also had drawbacks. Not every player favored the modernizations. Over the years, substantial changes were made to combat, graphics, interfaces, and the economy. The evolution of the combat system, in particular, later became a critical turning point, as a segment of the community longed for the older version of RuneScape.
RuneScape 3 vs. Old School RuneScape – A Franchise Takes Two Paths
Over time, significant demand arose for an older version of the game, and fortunately, Jagex still possessed a backup from 2007. The community was consulted, and they voted in favor of bringing back the older iteration. Consequently, Old School RuneScape was released in 2013, initially based largely on the 2007 version of RuneScape.
Following its release, the game was not simply left in its original state; rather, it received numerous updates introducing new quests, bosses, areas, items, and further developments. Many of the major updates were determined through community polls prior to being officially rolled out.
Simultaneously, RuneScape 3 was launched on July 22, 2013, serving as a massive modernization of the existing game. It introduced a new interface, technical overhauls, and a modern level of presentation. Accounts from the predecessor remained intact, meaning it is fundamentally still the same RuneScape from 2001, having undergone two major modernizations.
RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape thus ran concurrently. The fascinating aspect of this dynamic is that the nostalgic version has proven to be one of Jagex’s most critical titles in the long term. Even today in 2026, this game remains highly active and recently received a major update. Currently, the game features raids, quests, and even new skills, with both titles operating in parallel.
The next major milestone for Old School RuneScape occurred in 2018 with its release on iOS and Android. This version featured full cross-platform progression, allowing you to use the same account on PC and mobile devices. RuneScape Mobile followed later in 2021. As a result, an MMO originally built for browser-based PCs could suddenly be played seamlessly on smartphones.
Card Games, Idle Games, and Melvor – RuneScape Experiments
Over the years, Jagex experimented with other genres multiple times, but many of these projects are almost forgotten today. The first attempt was DarkScape in 2015. This was an alternative version of RuneScape heavily focused on PvP. The game was based on RuneScape but featured a much harsher gameplay concept. However, the game did not last long and was shut down in 2016.
Then, Chronicle: RuneScape Legends was released. This was a digital card game where players built decks featuring well-known characters and creatures from the game. However, the game had an unusual approach, as players partially battled through their own cards, making it more than just a Hearthstone clone. Still, the game was not a lasting success, and the servers were eventually shut down on August 6, 2018.
In 2016, an official RuneScape idle spin-off was also released, developed in collaboration with Hyper Hippo. The game was called RuneScape: Idle Adventures, and it was an idle/incremental RPG. The game featured RuneScape progression in a highly simplified form. However, this experiment did not work out in the long term; development was halted in 2017, and the servers were shut down on May 15, 2017.
But there was a second project that was not even originally developed by Jagex: Melvor Idle. The game was developed by Brendan Malcolm, the founder of Games by Malcs. Development began in 2018. Malcolm himself is a RuneScape player. In the game, you have the same skills as in RuneScape, such as Woodcutting, Fishing, Cooking, Mining, Combat, and much more. The progression strongly resembles RuneScape, but most activities run without needing constant attention.
The concept of the game worked so well that Jagex later became the publisher of the game themselves, following the failure of their own idle game. Jagex discovered the game in 2020, when it already had over 600,000 downloads. The game left Early Access in November 2021, at which point it already had over one million players across PC and mobile. Over time, the game received a total of 3 expansions, and a second game is currently in development.
Dragonwilds Finally Turns RuneScape Into a True Multi-Genre Franchise
RuneScape Dragonwilds was Jagex’s next attempt to bring the RuneScape universe to other forms of gaming. Dragonwilds is directly part of the RuneScape universe, but it is a completely new and standalone game. This is not an MMORPG, but rather a survival-crafting open-world game that can even be played in co-op.
The game’s Early Access launched on April 15, 2025, on Steam. The title was developed in Unreal Engine 5, and players find themselves on the continent of Ashenfall. You can play the game either solo or in co-op with up to 4 players. Skills remain the core of the game; many skills, such as Mining, Woodcutting, and more, can be leveled up to 99, just like in RuneScape. This means you get classic RuneScape DNA in a new genre.
In the game, you experience the clear RuneScape DNA through skill-based progression. You will encounter familiar creatures, terms, and the same humor. You level up your skills by using abilities. Additionally, there is magic and potions that allow you to level up faster and more efficiently. This means spellcasting is relevant not just for combat, but also as a survival tool. Furthermore, you will fight various enemies and bosses across different regions. As the game’s name suggests, the lore revolves heavily around dragons.
RuneScape Dragonwilds had a very successful Early Access period with over one million copies sold. During this time, several large areas were added, such as Fellhollow, Dowdun Reach, and, in the final major update before release, Umbral Sands. Additionally, several new skills, bosses, and the level cap increase to 99 were introduced. Dedicated servers were also added, allowing you to play with up to 6 players.
In just a few days, on September 15, 2026, Version 1.0 of RuneScape Dragonwilds will be released. This means the game is leaving Early Access after just over a year. But this is not the end for the game. Even after the launch, new updates featuring new areas and more are planned. Furthermore, the game will also be released on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. This makes Dragonwilds the first RuneScape game to appear on consoles. Additionally, the game will be available directly on Xbox Game Pass at launch. PS Plus Extra/Premium has also been announced.
With the release, Scorned Wilderness also arrives as major new content for the full launch. The update brings the Scorned Wilderness Raid and the battle against Kuldra, which concludes the main story arc up to this point. Jagex plans to continue supporting Dragonwilds in the long term.
Conclusion: After 25 Years, RuneScape Is Just Beginning to Become a Franchise
Over the past 25 years, RuneScape has undergone a development that hardly anyone could have expected in 2001. A small browser game created by the Gower brothers has evolved into RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape, two MMORPGs that remain active today. At the same time, Jagex has repeatedly tried to translate the ideas behind RuneScape into other genres.
Not every one of these attempts was successful. Games like Chronicle or RuneScape: Idle Adventures have long since disappeared. However, Melvor Idle demonstrated that the typical RuneScape progression can also work outside of an MMORPG. Dragonwilds takes this a step further and transfers the skills, creatures, humor, and world of RuneScape into a survival game.
Therefore, the 25th anniversary might be less of a conclusion and more the beginning of a new phase. For a long time, RuneScape was primarily the name of a single MMORPG. With Dragonwilds and other projects, it is increasingly developing into a franchise that can also function independently of the original game.
Hey, I’m Kilian, but online you’ll probably know me as “Tux1243.” I've been part of the team for almost two years now, always trying to keep you in the loop with the latest and coolest gaming news. I also have a huge passion for doing deep dives and detailed analyses of entire game series and franchises. I love getting to the bottom of things and exploring the little details and backstories that make game worlds so fascinating.
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