The Secrets Of Runescape's Rise

PC Gamer learns about the 16-year-old MMO’s allure from its venerable community of adventurers.

- Fraser Brown

RuneScape is a dark horse. It’s got enough players to support two versions of the game, has a convention in London, and last year got a card game spin-off. But unlike other MMOs that have managed to stand the test of time, it can be an enigma to those looking in. So what’s been keeping people chopping down trees and killing beasties all this time?

One of the common themes among the RuneScape players I’ve chatted to is that the game got its hooks into them when they were young, and they’ve stuck with it as it’s evolved over the course of the last 16 years.

“I’ve been playing RuneScape since 2002,” Brentmcclowd tells me. “Over the years I’ve always had times where I would get tired of the game or skilling and quit, only to come back a few months later and read the updates. Usually new minigames, or quest additions with rewards that would benefit me during game activities I was already fond of, would bring me back.”

In the early 2000s, before free-to-play was part of our common vernacular, RuneScape was a seductive prospect. No subscription fees, no need to buy game cards or pester parents for credit card details—diving in was easy. While things have changed and RuneScape now has a slightly more complicated business model, starting out remains just as simple as it was in 2001.