RuneScape Classic (2001–2003) – The Original Era

Revision 1–~230: RuneScape Classic (RSC) – Launched 4 January 2001 as a beta, this was the first public version of RuneScape. It featured 2D sprite characters in a 3D isometric world and a very simple game engine. Over its run, RSC introduced basic skills and quests, with incremental updates until 2003. By November 2003, RSC’s build number had reached the low 200s. Major changes in this era included the addition of membership (subscription) in 2002 which unlocked new areas and skills (e.g. the Agility skill added December 2002). RSC’s engine was limited (e.g. four fixed camera angles, no true 3D models), setting the stage for a complete rewrite. Impact: RSC established RuneScape’s foundation and player community. In 2004, it was officially succeeded by a new engine (RuneScape 2), and the original was thereafter dubbed “Classic.” RSC was kept online for veterans but eventually closed in 2018; its final build number was 233 (later tweaked to 235 by a minor 2009 update).

RuneScape 2 (2004–2007) – A New 3D Engine and Early Expansions

Revision 194: RuneScape 2 Beta (December 2003) – Jagex launched a beta of the completely rewritten RuneScape engine on 1 December 2003. Known as “RuneScape 2,” it introduced true 3D graphics (with 3D character models and environments) and many engine improvements. The beta client (rev 194) used a new file cache system and was initially open to paying members. Players could toggle between the old and new game during this beta.

Revision ~230: RuneScape 2 Full Release (29 March 2004) – After several months of beta, the new engine went live for all players in March 2004. RuneScape 2 now simply became “RuneScape”, and the former Classic version was retired to veteran servers. This marked a huge graphical and technical leap – the world of Gielinor was now fully 3D, with improved models and a more immersive camera. Early RuneScape 2 retained a similar point-and-click gameplay and interface but laid the groundwork for future upgrades. Impact: The transition from Classic to RS2 was smooth for many; players enjoyed a richer visual world and new features (e.g. a bank system upgrade, improved chat). RuneScape’s popularity surged, reaching hundreds of thousands of free players and tens of thousands of members by the time of RS2’s launch.

2004–2006 Updates: With the new engine, Jagex rapidly expanded game content and technology. Notable revisions and additions in this period:

• New Skills: Slayer and Farming skills were introduced in early 2005 (around revisions in the 270s–290s). Slayer (Jan 2005) allowed players to kill assigned monsters for reward, and Farming (July 2005) enabled crop-growing – these were the first skills added in RuneScape 2. Barrows, an iconic high-level combat minigame, was also added in 2005. These updates gave high-level players new goals and challenges.

• Engine & UI Improvements: Throughout 2004–06, RS2 saw numerous behind-the-scenes engine tweaks and client updates. For example, on 16 May 2006, Jagex performed a significant engine upgrade (still Java-based RuneTek 3) that improved performance but had little visible change. The game offered Low and High detail modes (software vs. hardware acceleration) even in this era, with High detail enabling better textures and sound. The user interface remained a fixed layout (stone borders, 2D icons) that would persist until 2013.

• Major Quests: Storylines expanded with epic quests like Recipe for Disaster (2005) and Desert Treasure, pushing the revision count upward with each game update.

Revision 404: Construction skill (31 May 2006) – Revision 404 marked the release of Construction, a new player-owned house building skill. This update was technically challenging (allowing players to create and customize house instances) and pushed the game engine’s capabilities. It also came with a significant cache format update. Construction gave players the ability to build homes, altars, and workshops, introducing more player creativity. Impact: Construction was a popular but expensive skill, and its release led to a surge in the in-game economy for related materials.

Revision 435: Skillcapes (Oct 2006) – Around rev 435, Skill Cape rewards were added for achieving level 99 in a skill. This coincided with more players reaching max level; the capes gave tangible recognition and special emotes for mastery.

Revision 438: Hunter skill (Nov 2006) – The Hunter skill was introduced around revision 438, offering new training methods by tracking and trapping creatures. Along with 2006’s other updates, RuneScape now had several more skills than its Classic predecessor, and a larger world.

High Detail, Wilderness Changes, and New Content (2007–2009)

Revision 460: Engine & Graphics Update (2007) – In mid-2007, Jagex updated the RuneScape engine (RuneTek 4) in preparation for future graphics improvements. While not immediately labeled as a new “RuneScape 3,” this was a foundational change enabling later features. Little visibly changed yet, but it improved performance and allowed for upcoming content like fullscreen mode.

Revision 470: God Wars Dungeon (28 Aug 2007) – The God Wars Dungeon launched around rev 470, introducing one of the first major multi-boss endgame areas. This update included new legendary drops (such as Godswords) and expanded high-level PvM content, dramatically increasing interest in boss hunting.

Revision 474: 2007 Halloween Event (Oct 2007) – By the 2007 Halloween seasonal event (rev 474), RuneScape had a mix of serious content and holiday events. Notably, August–December 2007 was the last era of the “old school” gameplay before massive changes to trading and PvP – the state preserved in what is now Old School RuneScape.

Revision 478: Grand Exchange (26 Nov 2007) – A pivotal update, revision 478 added the Grand Exchange trading system. The Grand Exchange (GE) allowed players to buy and sell items automatically in a central marketplace, revolutionizing the economy.

Revision 481: “The End of RuneScape” – Wilderness & Trade Removal (10 Dec 2007) – In a game update infamously nicknamed “the end of RuneScape” by some players, Jagex removed free-for-all player killing in the Wilderness and unregulated player trading. Revision 481 implemented these changes alongside new content like Bounty Hunter and Clan Wars mini-games to replace open PKing, as well as trade limits to combat real-world trading. Impact: This was arguably the most controversial update ever; it fundamentally changed PvP and the player economy overnight.

Revision 484: Summoning skill (15 Jan 2008) – The launch of Summoning came shortly after, in early 2008. This update (rev 484) added a new skill where players could summon familiars to aid in combat or skilling. Summoning was a huge content addition – it raised the skill count, changed combat dynamics (familiars could fight or hold items), and introduced summoning pouches/charms as new items.

Revision 501–504: RuneScape High Detail (July 2008) – Mid-2008 saw one of the largest graphical overhauls in RuneScape’s history. Jagex released RuneScape HD in summer 2008: revision 501/502 launched a members-only beta, and revision 504 was the full public release of HD along with a new website and features like item lending. RuneScape HD (High Detail) introduced fullscreen mode, higher texture detail, longer draw distance, dynamic lighting, and improved visual effects.

Revision 508: Resizable Window Mode (Sep 2008) – Rev 508 enabled resizing the game window freely, a quality-of-life feature to complement fullscreen.

Revision 510 & 514: PvP Worlds (Oct 2008) – After the removal of Wilderness PK in late 2007, Jagex experimented and by rev 514 introduced dedicated PvP Worlds. In these server worlds, almost all of Gielinor became a player-vs-player zone with drop loot potential (with some restrictions).

Revision 522–523: While Guthix Sleeps (Nov 2008) – RuneScape’s first Grandmaster quest, While Guthix Sleeps, released with revision 522. This epic quest advanced the game’s storyline significantly (involving the return of the dragonkin and a major character death) and required numerous high skills, taking players many hours to complete.

Revision 555–556: RuneTek 5 Engine (July 2009) – In mid-2009, Jagex updated the game engine to RuneTek 5, which improved performance and enabled new graphical features. Revisions 555 and 556 (rolled out the same day) delivered this engine update alongside content like personalized shop stock and magic autocast changes.

Dungeoneering, Live Events, and Last Pre-EoC Era (2010–2011)

Revision 598: Dungeoneering skill (12 April 2010) – RuneScape gained yet another skill with Dungeoneering in revision 598. Unlike prior skills, Dungeoneering was effectively a packaged mini-game: players delved into the procedural dungeons of Daemonheim (alone or in groups), solving puzzles and fighting bosses to gain XP and rewards.

Revision 605: Graphical Modes (May 2010) – In May 2010, Jagex added DirectX mode and reworked graphics options (revs 605–606). This provided an alternative to OpenGL/Software, improving compatibility and graphics performance.

2010 Updates: RuneScape continued to refine content and quality of life:

• Skill improvements: In early 2010, hitpoints were renamed Constitution and multiplied by 10 (so 99 HP became 990 life points) to allow future higher damage hits – a subtle precursor to the Evolution of Combat.

• Quests: The Void Knight quest finale “The Void Stares Back” (rev 622) and Love Story quest (rev 613) were released.

• Events: Holiday events and seasonal updates continued (e.g. Easter 2010 at rev 597).

Bot Nuke and Game Security (2011): An ongoing issue in RuneScape was botting. Jagex took increasing action through 2010–2011, culminating in the famous “Bot Nuke Day” on 25 October 2011. While not a specific revision number to players, this update heavily updated the game’s internal code to disrupt bots, and resulted in the mass banning of thousands of accounts.

2011 Content Highlights:

• The Clan Citadels update (July 2011) allowed clans to have their own floating island fortresses.

• High-level boss content: Tormented Demons (mid-2009 with WGS), Corporeal Beast (Sept 2008), and later the massive Nex boss (added January 2011) kept PvMers busy.

Evolution of Combat (2012) – The Game-Changer

Revision 743: Evolution of Combat (20 Nov 2012) – The Evolution of Combat (EoC) update is one of RuneScape’s most transformative revisions. Launched on 20 November 2012 (build 743) after months of beta testing, EoC reworked the fundamental combat system. It introduced an Action Bar with unlockable abilities (basic, threshold, ultimate attacks) replacing the old “special attack” system. The combat formula was changed: no more fixed 0-99 hitpoints – instead higher life points and damage, abilities with cooldowns, and a new adrenaline resource. Armor and weapons were rebalanced (the combat triangle of melee/range/mage was adjusted to be more fair). Impact: This was an earthquake in the RuneScape community. The game now felt more like a modern MMO (with hotkey abilities similar to World of Warcraft or other RPGs) rather than the old click-and-wait combat. Many veteran players initially disliked EoC’s departure from the classic style; thousands quit or moved to other games. However, others appreciated the increased interactivity and depth. The controversy was so great that Jagex soon announced Old School RuneScape (OSRS) – a separate service using an August 2007 backup – which launched in February 2013 to cater to players who preferred the pre-EoC mechanics.

RuneScape 3 and the Modern Era (2013–Present)

Revision 768: RuneScape 3 Launch (22 July 2013) – RuneScape 3 (RS3) is the label for the game after 2013, but it wasn’t a completely new engine rewrite like RS2 was – rather, a branding that brought a new interface and new technology. The official RS3 update went live July 22, 2013. Major features at RS3 launch included: a Customizable Interface System (players could drag, resize, and arrange UI elements freely for the first time), improved graphics and draw distance (especially for those using the new client options), a better camera system, and overhauled audio. RS3 also introduced seasonal worldwide events – the first was the Battle of Lumbridge, a two-month event where players chose a side in a godly battle and the world’s progress was tracked.

2013–2014 Developments: After RS3 launch, content updates resumed:

• A new skill, Divination, arrived in August 2013, making it the first RS3-era skill.

• Jagex responded to EoC criticisms by adding Legacy Mode in 2014, which allowed players to toggle back to an old-style combat interface (no action bar, old hit-splats, etc.) while still playing on RS3 servers.

• The New Interface System (NIS) continued to get tweaks (for example, an Interface Presets sharing update in 2015 allowed players to import UI layouts) and set the stage for future features like embedded web browser panels.

NXT Client (2016): A truly significant technical revision occurred behind the scenes with the development of NXT, a new standalone RuneScape client written in C++ that replaced the aging Java applet. NXT was released in April 2016, finally freeing RS3 from the browser/Java environment. This brought better performance and graphics – including higher frame rates, an even further draw distance, dynamic shadows, and improved textures.

Recent Years (2017–2021): RuneScape 3 continued to expand with new content and systems:

• Invention (2016): The first Elite Skill, requiring level 80 in other skills to start, which allows players to disassemble items and create tech augmentations.

• Menaphos (2017): A new large city expansion (rev 881) with a reputation system and the Slayer 120 cap increase.

• Mining & Smithing Rework (2019): A major overhaul of those two original skills (after years of player requests), significantly changing how ore and metal work.

• Archaeology (Mar 2020): A full new skill that gave players a rich lore-oriented training method, uncovering artifacts and ancient powers.

• Mobile Client (2018–2021): Jagex brought RuneScape to mobile devices: Old School RuneScape launched on mobile in 2018, and RuneScape 3’s full mobile release followed in 2021.

• Ongoing Engine Updates: RS3’s engine (often still referred to as RuneTek 7+ or simply the NXT engine) continued to get upgrades like volumetric lighting, improved skyboxes and even experimentation with ray tracing.

Recent Major Revisions: In 2022–2023, RuneScape 3 shows no signs of slowing. Jagex introduced Necromancy (2023) as a brand new combat style and skill – a huge addition blending EoC-style combat with skilling, proving the game is still evolving in design.

Private Servers and Revisions – Historical Snapshots

Enthusiasts of RuneScape’s past often turn to private servers (RSPS), which emulate specific revision builds to recreate the game as it was at that time. Understanding revision numbers is crucial in that community. For example, “317” servers are extremely popular – they are based on revision 317 of the client/cache, which dates to mid-2005 (just after RS2’s early game additions, before the Construction skill). A 317 RSPS typically contains content up through RuneScape in 2006 (no Construction or beyond), and is cherished for the nostalgia of the simpler times (often synonymous with “2006scape”). Other common RSPS revision bases and their significance:

• 377: A build from late 2005/early 2006. Some private servers use 377 or “317 loading 377” (a 317 client with a 377 cache) to include certain data like newer items or map areas while keeping the 317 codebase.

• 474: Often used to represent the game in later 2007, including God Wars Dungeon and before the trade/Wilderness removal.

• 562: A revision from late 2009 (after RuneTek 5, before Dungeoneering). Private servers with 562 caches have features like all 24 skills (including Summoning) and the HD graphics, but usually not Dungeoneering.

• 614/634: Revisions in 2010–2011. These builds include things like the Constitution (10x HP) update and items up to the early days of the Korasi’s sword and Nex.

• 667: Around mid-2011. Includes the era just before the return of free trade and wildy (or just after) and before the chaotic weapons became overshadowed by Nex drops.

• 718: Generally refers to the last era before EoC. A 718 revision (mid-2012) includes nearly all of RuneScape 2’s final content: e.g. Queen Black Dragon, the full set of 25 skills (Dungeoneering included), and the traditional combat system. This is the base for many “pre-EoC” private servers, since anything higher would have the EoC mechanics.

Conclusion

From the humble beginnings of RuneScape Classic (a handful of pixels and primitive mechanics) through the revolutionary RuneScape 2 engine, and then dramatic shifts like the Wilderness/Trade changes and Evolution of Combat, RuneScape has undergone countless revisions – each leaving a mark on the game and its community. Major revision milestones often aligned with new graphics engines (RS2 in 2004, HD in 2008, RS3/NXT in 2013–2016) or gameplay overhauls (introduction of skills, EoC). These changes have kept RuneScape fresh and engaging for those who adapt, while also spawning alternate experiences (Old School servers, legacy modes, RSPS) for those who prefer the older mechanics.

As of today, RuneScape 3 continues to receive weekly updates (new quests, skills like Necromancy, and technical improvements) – truly earning the title of “the most-updated MMORPG”. Meanwhile, Old School RuneScape (based on the 2007 revision) thrives alongside it with a different development path. RuneScape’s history is a living timeline of innovation in MMO design. Understanding the complete chronological list of RuneScape’s revisions offers insight into how the game evolved from a browser-based Java applet in 2001 to a multi-platform MMO giant in the 2020s, and why players remain passionate about both its historical and modern forms. Each major revision not only introduced new content or technology, but also shaped player experiences and memories – making RuneScape’s journey truly unique in gaming history.