The History of RuneScape (Jagex’s MMO Empire)

RuneScape is one of the most consequential games in browser-gaming history. Jagex launched the original version in 2001 — a fully featured 3D MMO that ran in any Java-capable browser, free to play with optional paid membership. Over the next two decades, the game went through three major engine generations, a controversial graphics overhaul, the death of Java browser plugins, a community-driven resurrection of an old client, and a quiet but real comeback. The history of RuneScape is the story of one of the few free browser games that successfully became a multi-decade business.

The Gower brothers and Jagex

Andrew Gower started designing what would become RuneScape while studying computer science at Cambridge. The original prototype, called DeviousMUD, was a text-based multi-user dungeon Andrew developed in the late 1990s. His brother Paul joined the project, and the two reworked the design into a graphical 3D world. They co-founded Jagex (Java Gaming Experts) in 2001 to develop and operate the game.

RuneScape launched in January 2001. The technical achievement was significant — a 3D MMO running in a Java browser plugin, with multiple servers, persistent character data, and real-time combat with other players. Most MMOs of the era required dedicated client downloads; RuneScape ran in a tab. The game spread quickly through schools, university computer labs, and home internet connections.

The original RuneScape (RuneScape Classic)

The 2001 version, retroactively called RuneScape Classic, was a primitive-looking but mechanically deep game. Tile-based movement, click-to-attack combat, skill trees for combat and gathering, a player-driven economy. The graphics were intentionally low-poly so the Java applet stayed responsive on dial-up connections.

Classic ran on a small free-to-play tier and a paid membership tier (RuneScape Members) that unlocked additional skills, quests, areas, and content. The membership model was important — it gave Jagex a sustainable revenue base and let the studio reinvest in the game continuously. Most browser MMOs of the era died from monetization failure; RuneScape’s membership model solved that.

RuneScape 2 (2004)

Jagex launched RuneScape 2 in 2004 as a complete engine replacement. The new client had improved graphics, smoother animations, better camera controls, and a more robust networking layer. RuneScape Classic stayed online for nostalgic players until 2018, but the active community migrated to RuneScape 2 within months.

RuneScape 2 was the version that built the franchise’s mainstream awareness. Throughout the mid-2000s, RuneScape was the browser MMO. Player counts grew into the millions. The game was on every list of “biggest free games on the internet” for years. The brand recognition reached non-gamers in a way few browser titles ever achieved.

The 2007 backup and the seed of Old School

In 2007, Jagex created a routine backup of the game’s source and asset state. This backup would become historically important six years later. The 2007 version represented what most veteran players still considered the franchise’s peak — combat balance was good, the skill system was well-tuned, the quests were memorable.

Over the next several years, Jagex kept iterating on RuneScape 2 with major content updates. Some changes were controversial. The 2007-2012 period included the Wilderness rework, the Evolution of Combat overhaul, and various microtransaction expansions that split the community.

Old School RuneScape (2013)

By 2012, large segments of the player base were openly nostalgic for the pre-Evolution-of-Combat version. Jagex polled players in early 2013 on whether to relaunch the 2007 backup as a separate game. The poll passed overwhelmingly. Old School RuneScape launched in February 2013, running the 2007 codebase with modern infrastructure underneath.

Old School quickly grew to match — and eventually exceed — the active player counts of the main RuneScape 3 game. The community-driven decision model continued: most content changes in Old School require a 75% community vote to pass. This unusual governance structure has kept Old School feeling authentic to the 2007-era player base while letting Jagex add new content gradually.

The end of Java browser plugins

Throughout the 2010s, browsers progressively dropped support for Java applets due to security concerns. Chrome removed Java support in 2015. Firefox followed in 2017. By 2018, no major browser would run the original RuneScape Java applet. Jagex had to migrate to dedicated client software.

The transition was inevitable — Java browser applets were a security liability across the entire web. But it ended RuneScape’s status as a “browser game” in the original sense. The game now runs through Jagex’s official client (NXT) or, for Old School players, through third-party clients like RuneLite that add quality-of-life features. The “log in from any browser” promise that defined the 2001-2017 era is no longer the experience.

RuneScape Classic shutdown

Jagex shut down RuneScape Classic in August 2018, ending its seventeen-year run. The original 2001 client had been maintained as a legacy server for nostalgic players, but the population had dwindled to a few hundred, the codebase was unmaintainable, and the security risks of the old infrastructure were significant. The shutdown was bittersweet — the version that started the whole franchise finally went offline.

The current state

As of 2026, RuneScape exists as two parallel games. RuneScape 3 is the continuously evolved version of the main client — modern graphics, full microtransaction economy, a regular content release cadence, and a smaller but devoted player base. Old School RuneScape is the larger of the two by active players, running on the 2007 codebase with carefully voted-in content updates.

Both games are owned by Jagex, which has changed corporate ownership multiple times — including a 2005 IVP investment, a 2016 sale to Macarthy Music, a 2020 sale to Carlyle Group affiliate The Carlyle Group, and subsequent transactions. The studio remains based in Cambridge, England.

The technical achievement in context

It’s hard to overstate how impressive RuneScape was technically in 2001. A fully featured 3D MMO that ran in a Java browser plugin, supported thousands of concurrent players per server, handled real-time combat with other players, persisted character data across sessions, and worked on dial-up — none of those properties were given. Jagex built the infrastructure to make all of it work, and they did it as a small UK studio competing with EverQuest, Ultima Online, and other dedicated-client MMOs.

For broader context on browser MMOs and how RuneScape fit into the wider MMORPG history, see our history of MMORPGs.

The cultural footprint

RuneScape’s cultural reach in the mid-2000s was massive. Throughout the late 2000s, RuneScape was a school playground subject of conversation in a way few games ever achieve. The Gielinor world map, the named characters, the quest line names — all of these were shared vocabulary among players. The community generated millions of YouTube videos, wikis, forum posts, and trading guides.

Old School RuneScape’s revival in 2013 effectively re-launched the cultural moment a second time. The streaming era added a new dimension — Twitch streamers running ironman-mode accounts, speedrun-style quest completions, and skilling-grind background streams all became major content categories.

Frequently asked questions

Who made RuneScape?

RuneScape was developed by brothers Andrew and Paul Gower at their studio Jagex (Java Gaming Experts), founded in 2001. The studio is based in Cambridge, England. Andrew designed the original game; Paul co-founded Jagex and worked on later versions.

When did RuneScape come out?

The original RuneScape launched in January 2001. RuneScape 2 followed in 2004. Old School RuneScape, based on a 2007 backup, launched in February 2013.

Can you still play RuneScape in a browser?

No, not in the original sense. Browser support for Java applets ended in 2017-2018, and Jagex migrated the game to dedicated clients (NXT for RuneScape 3, RuneLite and the official client for Old School). The game still runs on PC and mobile, just not in a browser tab anymore.

What’s the difference between RuneScape and Old School RuneScape?

RuneScape 3 is the continuously evolved version of the main game with modern graphics, microtransactions, and an ongoing content release cadence. Old School RuneScape runs on the 2007 codebase with community-voted content updates and is mechanically closer to the franchise’s peak-era gameplay.

Is RuneScape free to play?

Yes, both versions have a free-to-play tier with paid membership unlocking additional content, areas, skills, and quests. The membership model has been the franchise’s core business since 2001.

The takeaway

RuneScape is one of the most successful browser games ever made — a 2001 launch that became a multi-decade franchise, lost its browser-native status to platform changes, and rebuilt itself around dedicated clients without losing its identity. For a different browser game from the Java-applet era of web gaming, the Chrome Dino game at the top of this page is the modern minimalist counterpart to RuneScape’s maximalist MMO ambitions.