Jagex is pulling the plug on RuneScape's wild cosmetics in a push to ground the MMO
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Jagex is overhauling RuneScape to remove mismatched cosmetics like the famous sharksuit, aiming to return the 25-year-old MMO to its traditional medieval fantasy roots.
Running a live service game for a quarter of a century creates a very specific kind of clutter. As Rock Paper Shotgun recently reported in their feature detailing Jagex's plans, RuneScape is preparing for a major aesthetic reset. Associate director of design Ryan Philpott explained that the team wants to pull the game back to its core identity, which means taking a hard look at years of eccentric cosmetics that stray far from the traditional medieval fantasy roots. Items like the infamous 2015 sharksuit, which turns player fishing animations into a walking shark, might have their fans, but Jagex views them as weeds choking an otherwise impressive garden.
This cleanup is part of a much broader roadmap for the classic MMO. Jagex is tackling combat modernization, user interface updates, regional art overhauls, and general balancing. The studio wants to position the main game clearly alongside Old School RuneScape, emphasizing that the modern version offers two decades of accumulated content that few competitors can match. Decluttering the world is framed as a necessary step to help new and returning players see past the noisy microtransaction history and appreciate the core experience.
Of course, defining what counts as traditional RuneScape is tricky when a community has grown up across different eras. A player who logged on during the early days has a very different baseline than someone who joined during the height of the cosmetic era. Trimming away quirky items and mismatched outfits risks rubbing some longtime fans the wrong way, but Jagex is betting that a cohesive visual identity will pay off in the long run. You can read the original interview and deep dive over at Rock Paper Shotgun.
Tags: RuneScape, Jagex, MMO, PC Gaming, Gaming News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun