Old School RuneScape is coming to Steam on February 24, according to a new statement from Jagex. The idea was first mentioned back in 2020 when RuneScape landed on Steam, although a firm release date for the Old School spin-off was never announced.
The official launch date reveal for Old School RuneScape follows the success of RuneScape on Steam, which has garnered over 90% positive reviews.
"What began as a vanilla server for RuneScape has evolved into an eight-year success story and we're so excited that it’s expanding to the Steam platform next month," said Rob Hendry, Executive Producer of Old School RuneScape. "2021 is set to be a huge year for Old School RuneScape with a jam-packed release schedule, and all content accessible with cross-platform play. We’re confident that both our community and new players alike will find their time in the game an exhilarating one.”
Old School RuneScape recently broke it's peak concurrent player record, when over 157,000 people logged onto its servers at once during the Leagues II: Trailblazer event. The old game is more popular now than any time in its long history, and bringing it to Steam will only broaden its audience.
Jagex said the game's Steam debut will "deliver a custom-built Steam experience with a dedicated Old School Steam Community Hub, featuring weekly announcements, guides, articles, artwork, and videos, in addition to membership packages and achievements." It'll also include the usual assortment of Steam Badges, Emoticons, and Trading Cards, although those will be added "shortly after launch."
While it's great to see Old School RuneScape coming to a new service – and getting in front of a new audience – it's unlikely old players will want to make a switch. Several third-party clients offer a variety of bonus features to the game that many veteran players can't play without. Increased draw distance, Prayer-flicking assistance, and improved animations are all included with clients such as RuneLite, and it's unlikely these will appear on Steam.
Old School RuneScape can now be added to your Wishlist on Steam and will be playable on February 24.