In 2019, MMORPGs were heavily focused on the topic of WoW Classic. However, the much older RuneScape celebrated its most successful year since its release in 2001. It can even compete with Final Fantasy XIV in subscription numbers.
How successful was RuneScape? In 2019, the RuneScape franchise claims to have broken several records:
- That year, it gained more new players than ever in its 19-year history.
- Old RuneScape was downloaded over 8 million times as a mobile version.
- At its peak, 1.1 million players had an active subscription in RuneScape. That was the highest number since 2010, roughly on par with Final Fantasy XIV. Although the MMORPG does not publish exact figures, fan analyses of player statistics show about 1 million active players with characters above the Free2Play limit.
As early as 2018, the head of Jagex, the company behind the MMORPG, reported that RuneScape had grown for the fourth consecutive year. 2019 continued this trend.
Where does RuneScape’s success come from? Jagex has focused strongly on the RuneScape franchise as a whole. In the meantime, they worked on several other games that failed. Subsequently, they returned to the old game.
With the release of Old School RuneScape in 2013, Jagex did everything right. The re-release of the 2007 game version was well received by fans. They could now choose between the old memories and the current RuneScape version.
Additionally, the increased collaboration with the community has impacted the development of the franchise. Players are not only passionate about the MMORPG but can also help shape it.
Community engagement as a recipe for success
The community as co-creators: In Old School RuneScape, players decide which content is added to the game and which is not. New features are proposed, and only if a feature gets 75% approval from the community, will it be implemented.
This special form of collaboration and the mobile release of the MMORPG have led to significantly more players using the Old School version than the newer RuneScape today.
How crazy is the RuneScape community? The RuneScape community is very close to the game and loves it dearly. We experienced this love ourselves when we attended MeinMMO at the annual RuneFestival 2019.
At this festival, fans, streamers, and artists around the RuneScape franchise are honored; a bit like an Oscars ceremony, complete with red carpet and trophy. Additionally, activities are offered on site, and panels about the game are held.
Fans love the event and even pay the very expensive entry fee of £135 and travel costs. In return, they expect like-minded individuals and an incredible atmosphere.
MMORPG is booming, yet there are concerns
What is happening in RuneScape in 2020? In addition to many new updates that will bring a new profession and new dungeons to the game, particularly the mobile release of RuneScape is in the spotlight.
At the end of 2019, testing began for this, and in 2020, the newer version of RuneScape is intended to attract new players via smartphones and tablets, just like its predecessor.
What else is Jagex working on? In 2018, Jagex announced that they are developing a new next-gen MMORPG. It was supposed to be connected to RuneScape but is still in an early development stage.
Since the announcement, there has been little new information. Only an update in early 2019 indicated that a well-known developer has been hired and that the MMORPG is to be developed in Unreal Engine 4.
Where are the problems at Jagex? While the RuneScape franchise is doing well, there are always concerns surrounding the company Jagex. It was sold in 2016 to the Chinese company Shangdong Hongda.
While RuneScape has experienced a surge, the Chinese company has not performed well. Its stock value has significantly dropped in recent years. There are continuous hints that Jagex may be sold again. However, this has not happened yet.
RuneScape is doing very well at the beginning of 2020. But where do the most well-known MMORPGs stand? We’ll tell you:
