More than 240,000 players are (probably) listening to Sea Shanty 2

August 05, 2025 | 04:33am

Old School Runescape Is More Popular Than Ever, Breaks Concurrent-Player Record

More than 240,000 players are (probably) listening to Sea Shanty 2

Old School Runescape has long been the most popular version of Runescape, with fans able to vote on new features they would like to see Jagex add to the game. A quick look at misplaceditems shows that Runescape 3, the other, more modern version of Runescape operated by Jagex, had around 26,000 concurrent players during the time when Old School Runescape broke its concurrent player record.

There are a few reasons why Old School Runescape is having a surge in popularity. While the game never truly went away and has been operating since 2001, the game's recent Varlamore: The Final Dawn update added new regions and endgame content on July 23, boosting interest and causing players to return. Jagex will also soon add Old School Runescape's first-ever new skill, Sailing, which players voted for back in 2023. An alpha version of the skill was playable for one week back in March.

Jagex's MMO is also seeing a boost from an unlikely source--the World of Warcraft content-creator community. A number of WoW streamers, including names like Guzu, AnnieFuchsia, Shobek, Sodapoppin, and Savix, have flocked to Old School Runescape in recent months, citing frustration with WoW Classic's seasonal servers and its frequent rollout of older expansions that essentially serve as semiregular resets for the MMO. Runescape, by contrast, doesn't invalidate gear or progression in the same way, creating a more permanent feeling of character progression.

Old School Runescape is available on PC and mobile devices. For those seeking a new MMORPG to try, Runescape is one of the best choices out there, but be sure to check out our full list of the best MMORPGs to play in 2025.

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