Jagex has confirmed Old School Runescape will be getting a new look, thanks to a HD update.
First released in 2013, the clunky graphics have long been part of the charm of Jagex’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game but that looks set to change.
Announced via a blog post, Old School Runescape is set to receive an “official HD mode” in the coming months.
“We’ve been quiet about this update since we first announced it a few years ago, and since then we’ve seen plenty of speculation about it. It’s time to put the rumours to bed – Official HD Mode is coming, and we’re ready to show off everything we’ve been working on,” said developers.
“At its core, HD Mode has always been about keeping Old School RuneScape’s unique visual identity safe, while embracing the enhanced graphical features players have come to expect from their games,” the post continued.
⚙️ We’ve been bolstering our official client and later this year, we’re going to be introducing an official HD Mode and the Official Client Plugin API.
🌇 Check out all of the techy text and gorgeous imagery in our Official Client journey!
🔗 https://t.co/z8wS02k9RF pic.twitter.com/0uzLBp1Jvm
— Old School RuneScape (@OldSchoolRS) January 20, 2024
Developers will be replacing Old School Runescape’s current engine with their own in-house renderer, Runetek. “This lovely bit o’ kit will help push our graphical capabilities to new heights, and with the latest update, we’ll be able to provide all the modern features you’ve come to expect from a game client,” said devs but players will be able to switch between updated graphics and the current artstyle with the press of a button on both PC and Mobile.
They also confirmed that current mods that give Old School Runescape a HD look will be unaffected by the update. “We want to get one thing out of the way before we dive in – you will still be able to use 117Scape and HDOS after these updates launch. Our policy regarding these alternative clients remains the same.”
“We’re going to work closely with the community when it comes to what HD mode should look like – it’s for you, after all! You can expect plenty of feedback opportunities – including Beta tests – as we continue to refine HD mode in line with our community’s expectations. In fact, we plan to have a playable Alpha in your hands very soon, followed by an always-on Beta once we’re comfortable with its performance.”
Last November Old School Runescape attracted over 200,000 concurrent players, the highest number since it launched, due to launch of new community activity Sq’irkin and the return of its much-hyped Leagues game mode. “It blew our expectations out of the water,” developers told NME at the time.
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