The RuneScape, released in January 2001, is one of the largest and most successful MMORPGs in gaming history. The classic “Old School” version has now achieved an impressive record.
What kind of record is it? On November 27, 2024, “Leagues V: Raging Echoes” launched for Old School RuneScape. The update allows all players with an active membership to embark on a fresh adventure in one of many new worlds.
You’ll not only encounter the familiar content from the main game but also fresh combat masteries, relics, echo bosses, and more. According to the official FAQ (via docs.google.com), Leagues V is expected to run for eight weeks.
Clearly, this offer has captured the interest of many fans of the classic MMORPG. A screenshot posted a few hours ago on Reddit shows that 210,027 players were online simultaneously in Old School RuneScape. On X, the developers confirmed that this is the highest number of concurrently active players so far. A record for the studio Jagex!
You can also play Old School RuneScape on Steam – here’s the trailer:
Old School RuneScape breaks its own record
What was the previous record? In November 2023, MeinMMO reported that Old School RuneScape achieved a new milestone with 185,123 concurrent players. Even then, other current MMORPGs like Lost Ark and New World did not look too good in comparison.
The latter has also not changed due to the fresh releases of New World Aeternum and Throne and Liberty. When you add up the recent Steam player counts of the three games from Amazon Games, you get the following: 92,573 (24-hour peak of Throne and Liberty) plus 23,135 (New World) plus 26,635 (Lost Ark) equals 142,343 players.
Of course, you also have to consider the MMORPG fans who play New World and Throne and Liberty on consoles. But are there more than 67,684 players? Even if that is the case, we find it remarkable how popular the 23-year-old RuneScape is compared to the considerably more modern MMORPGs. And this is true, despite the recent largest increase in subscription prices since launch.
