RuneScape turns 20 this year and is celebrating with a long-overdue artbook. RuneScape: The First 20 Years, created by Dark Horse Books in collaboration with Jagex, will take a look at the MMORPG's storied history, offering never-before-scene images, commentary, and interviews.
RuneScape: The First 20 years will be available in two editions when it launches on October 5. The Standard Edition will be available for $39.99, while the ultra-flashy Deluxe Edition will set you back $99.99 and includes a different cover, a hardbound folio of art prints, and gold foil-lined pages. While the Standard Edition can be found at most retailers, the Deluxe Edition is exclusive to the RuneScape Merch Store.
"I am delighted Jagex is teaming up with Dark Horse, an illustrious company that shares our passion for delivering high-quality creative storytelling," said Jagex CEO Phil Mansell. "20 years of RuneScape is a massive milestone for Jagex and our games, and I thank our community for being on this incredible journey with us. RuneScape: The First 20 Years will provide our players with a unique insight into the story of the past two decades and a chance to explore RuneScape’s fantasy world of Gielinor like never before.”
RuneScape has been having a record 2021, with year-long events, in-game promotions, and impressive player counts. It recently hit a bit of a rough patch, as the login servers went down and wouldn't let players jump into the game. Jagex is still working on a fix, but as of now, things are back to normal for the vast majority of players.
Despite the laundry list of incredible MMORPGs released over the years – including Final Fantasy 14, Elder Scrolls Online, and Black Desert Online – RuneScape and Old School RuneScape remain some of the most popular online experiences around. The games almost always have at least 100,000 players roaming the servers chopping wood and fishing for tuna.
Jagex has big things planned for its 20th anniversary – and RuneScape: The First 20 Years seems like a great way to close out the celebrations later this year.