Will RuneScape on Steam Breathe Fresh Life into the MMORPG?
Any game that has had the longevity of the RuneScape series will often find themselves on the lookout for avenues to keep things fresh. Jagex are fully aware of this, and appear to be about to take a massive step into breathing new life into the popular MMO franchise. In what will be a major announcement for many fans, we will soon be seeing OSRS and RuneScape on Steam.
Given the size of the platform, this means quite a lot when it comes to bringing new players to the game, even at this late stage of the lifecycle. Here we will be discussing:
- OSRS and RuneScape’s Steam release dates
- What we can expect
- Will this see a new wave of popularity to the game?
Let’s start off with the burning question of when we can expect to see the games on Steam.
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OSRS and RuneScape Steam Release Dates
RuneScape is an MMO that has without a doubt stood the test of time. Initially releasing in 2001, the game has managed to accumulate a loyal fanbase over the course of nearly two decades, and it looks as if this might be about to grow a whole lot more. As the years went by, we saw RuneScape undergoing a number of advancements, which didn’t sit too well with those old school fans of the game. This prompted the release of Old School RuneScape, also known as OSRS.
Previously, players have only been able to access the RuneScape games via the official website, until now. On October 14th, we will see the debut of RuneScape on Steam. This will be followed by a release of OSRS on the same platform sometime in early 2021.
What Can We Expect from RuneScape on Steam?
Given that the two games are making a major shift in coming to the massive Steam platform, it would be interesting to see if there is anything to accompany the releases. So far, we know that they won’t be releasing side by side, and although we only have a couple of weeks or so to wait to see RuneScape on there, we are going to have to wait a while yet before OSRS makes its debut.
What we can expect to see is the Steam debut of RuneScape having a dedicated support team that will be in charge of maintaining a community hub for the game for those who choose to play the game on Steam. There will also be bespoke achievements and membership packages coming to the game, so keep an eye out for them in the coming weeks.
You can also expect to be kept up to date on all things RuneScape, courtesy of weekly announcements being put up to keep you clued up on everything that’s happening. If you want to learn more about the game, then articles will be going up to give you more of an insight, as well as artwork to check out and videos to watch. If you do find yourself getting stuck, which is probably likely if you are starting the game for the first time, then there will also be guides to help you along the way.
Will We See a Wave of Popularity when RuneScape is added to Steam?
This is the question that will be sitting deeply with many players and Steam users alike, as well as the game’s developers. Ultimately, Jagex’s mission is to introduce the RS universe to more players on a global scale, and there isn’t a much better place to do that than on Steam. The key is to make the game offer more availability on the desktop versions of the game, following the release on mobile platforms.
Over the course of the nearly 20 year run that RuneScape has had, there has been a collective 285 million player accounts attached to the game. Incredible stats indeed, but given that we are asking the question of whether this will breathe new life into the franchise, we would first need to question the game’s popularity at the moment.
To say that Steam will breathe new life into RuneScape is a pretty obvious suggestion, given that Steam has surpassed one billion accounts, and peaked earlier this year for concurrent users at over 20 million. With stats that high, there’s bound to be a significant influx of players coming in. But its also important to remember that this is just another step of spreading the RS franchise to a new playerbase.
After all, earlier this year we saw Jagex report its highest-ever player membership numbers, which goes to show that there is still a lot to offer when it comes to OSRS and RuneScape. Given that they have also been working on introducing the game to mobile platforms, it shows the leaps that the game is making to reach as many players as possible, which is always going to be the case when you introduce something to the largest gaming platform there is.
Conclusion
When we do see RuneScape on Steam, as well as the later release of OSRS, there is little to suggest that it won’t be a massive boost to the franchise in terms of adding to playerbase. Ultimately, it will showcase Jagex’s dedication to the series, even after all this time. The popularity of the franchise wasn’t waning by any means, if you take into consideration the statistics of their membership numbers reaching an all-time high this year.
If you are looking forward to seeing RuneScape on Steam, then thankfully you won’t have much longer to wait. We are just a few days away from it hitting Steam, with a release date expected on the 14th of Octobere. If you are looking forward to a more classic experience, then you are going to have to wait just a little while longer, as we expect to see the release of OSRS on Steam early next year. Regardless of which game you choose, as a Steam user you are going to be able to experience exactly why the RuneScape franchise is going from strength to strength even after nearly 20 years.
