Runescape 3 launching July 22, shifts focus to a player-driven world

Runescape 3, the largest update to 12-year-old free-to-play MMO Runescape, will launch on July 22, developer Jagex announced today.

The launch of Runescape 3 will transition the game from Java to run on HTML 5 as well as introduce new gameplay features. Player scores will be tracked throughout each season on weekly and monthly leaderboards, encouraging competition in specific play areas. With the update to Runescape 3, player decisions will now have a greater effect on the world of Gielinor and will help to shape its future. The first community-wide event, The Battle for Lumbridge, will kick off the new player-driven focus.

By moving the title to HTML 5, Jagex has also improved the game’s graphics quality, increased draw distances and upgraded both the audio and camera systems for the title.

“We have a solid line up of the most ambitious innovative content and ground breaking technical innovations ever, all of which will be coming to fruition over the course of the next few months, it’s going to be an incredibly exciting time for the community both past and present,” said Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard.