After an outpouring of negative feedback, Jagex has postponed Old School RuneScape's equipment rebalance. The team still plans to move forward with unpolled changes in the future, and will use the extra time to gather more data to support their case.
Old School RuneScape has been on the market for about eight years. In that time, the game is yet to see a massive rework of weapons, stats, and skills. New gear has been added on a regular basis, but existing weapons remain largely untouched. Because of this, the team feels Old School RuneScape is at risk of becoming unbalanced and unhealthy.
"We still believe in what we're trying to achieve with the Rebalance, and we strongly believe that important unpolled game balance changes are needed," reads the Old School team's announcement. "That said, we know some of you think that our implementation felt rushed. To that end, we're planning on using the extra time to strengthen the proposal. Our blogs, our streams, and the many platforms for engagement are all opportunities for us to better understand your needs and concerns, all while aligning with our desires for integrity and balance."
The equipment rebalance delay also means the release date for Combat Achievements has been pushed back. Jagex believes it would be a "mistake" to launch Combat Achievements before a full rebalance, although it's not ready to announce a new release date.
For now, rest assured that your beloved Blowpipes are safe. And if you want them to stay that way, it's time to start gathering hard data and posting it on your preferred Old School forums – Jagex will continue to listen to feedback and it's possible your notes will play a role in the final update.
Old School RuneScape has seen a resurgence over the past few years, most notably when it launched on iOS and Android. The game is slated to launch on Steam later this month, and it'll be interesting to see if a similar population boom occurs with its arrival.