Old School RuneScape is more popular now than ever before, with the game recently hitting a new all-time concurrent player peak on Steam. Released back in 2013, Old School RuneScape(OSRS) is one of two available versions of the game and is designed to appeal more to old-school fans than its sequel, RuneScape 3 (RS3).
Developer Jagex continues to support both releases, with Old School RuneScape adding new in-game skills like Sailing, which it let players preview earlier this year on March 20. Jagex also rolled out Varlamore: The Final Dawn on July 23, which serves as the final chapter in the Twilight Emissaries series for Old School RuneScape. Meanwhile, RuneScape 3 recently saw the release of a new boss, Amascut, Goddess of Destruction.
Over a decade since its 2013 release, Old School RuneScape continues to smash records, having previously set an impressive all-time concurrent player count back in December 2024 with a total of 231,000 players. More recently, it broke this all-time player record, with tracking site misplaceditems reporting a whopping 240,756 concurrent players as of August 3. Jagex also confirmed the milestone on the game’s social media channels, thanking players for playing Old School RuneScape and breaking its peak player count.
Old School RuneScape Sets New Concurrent Player Record
Old School RuneScape continuing to beat previous player count records is likely due, in part, to Jagex’s ongoing rollout of new content for the game. As previously mentioned, Varlamore: The Final Dawn was released for Old School RuneScape on July 23, a few weeks before the game set its new concurrent player milestone. And within the community, players continue to create and share creative content that can help get the word out about the game as well, like this hilarious video that puts chef Gordon Ramsay in Old School RuneScape’s Lumbridge Castle.
All of these things have undoubtedly helped keep Old School RuneScape in active conversation, with RuneScape recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “largest and most-updated free MMORPG” on the market. Not only are new players putting hundreds of hours into the game, its die-hard fanbase continues to pour an immense amount of time into the game, including one player who spent 10,000 hours in Old School RuneScape to complete a self-imposed challenge.
Furthermore, Old School RuneScape has been able to maintain its strong player base despite moments of pushback from the community, such as when players expressed their disappointment in a survey from Jagex asking them to pick options they’d be open to paying for if implemented. Jagex later apologized for this, and has had players vote on less controversial items since then, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to listen to and incorporate player feedback. Old School RuneScape has also been holding steady at an 82% positive rating on Steam, with 70% of recent reviews from the last 30 days being positive.
