RuneScape will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a year-long extravaganza, developer and publisher Jagex has announced.
The acclaimed medieval fantasy MMORPG launched on January 4, 2001 and, to celebrate its landmark birthday, Jagex has revealed a number of in-game events and memorabilia for fans to enjoy over the next 12 months.
RuneScape’s 20th anniversary celebrations begin with The Grand Party event, which will bring players into contact with some of its most memorable characters, including The Wise Old Man and Sandwich Lady, at Lumbridge Crater. In-game rewards, such as a 20th anniversary cape and outfit, will also be on offer for players to earn.
Old School RuneScape sees the return of its first anniversary event, which will allow players to earn the anniversary cape and a Gnome Child dedication for their troubles, on January 6. A multi-part anniversary questline — Once Upon a Time — also begins in RuneScape on January 25, and will allow players to explore the game’s past, present, and future The four-part mission will run throughout the year, as will a new story arc concerning the Elder Gods.
One of the world’s longest running online games, RuneScape added another 1.2 million players to its 300 million strong fanbase in 2020. The title has been played for more than 7,000 days since its release, and Jagex CEO Phil Mansell thanked the game’s loyal following for sticking with RuneScape since its inception.
“20 years is a massive milestone for Jagex and the games, and I thank our players for being on this incredible journey with us,” Mansell said. “RuneScape has come a long way since 2001 when it was launched by a small team of visionary game developers. It has thrived for 20 years by embracing its heritage while also evolving with more than 1,000 game and content updates, making it a truly living game. As we continue to make the RuneScape universe more accessible to more players all over the world, we’ll celebrate throughout 2021 with one of the most content-rich years for the games ever.”
Jagex also announced that, following successful beta trials in 2020, RuneScape would receive a full launch on mobile and tablet devices in 2021. The port will support crossplay between devices, which will enable players to jump between mobile and PC versions.
Finally, a full hardcover companion book — RuneScape: The First 20 Years – An Illustrated History — has been produced by Dark Horse Books that provides a detailed look back at RuneScape’s rich history. Other collectibles, such as a special gold vinyl pressing of RuneScape: Original Soundtrack Classics, are also available to pre-order at the official RuneScape merch store.
