RuneScape’s CEO makes a bold claim, saying the team is aiming to beat World of Warcraft and become the biggest MMO on the planet
RuneScape’s CEO has announced an ambitious goal: making the 25-year-old MMO the biggest franchise in its genre, surpassing World of Warcraft. This comes as RuneScape celebrates its silver anniversary, having maintained a thriving player base across multiple game variants.
The CEO outlined a strategic roadmap to achieve this goal, including significant changes to the game’s monetization model. Key initiatives involve phasing out FOMO (fear of missing out) mechanics and reducing reliance on microtransactions—a notable shift for a live-service title. Additionally, the studio is expanding the franchise’s reach by bringing RuneScape to Xbox, broadening its audience beyond its established PC player base.
RuneScape has grown substantially since its inception, now encompassing three distinct games: the original RuneScape, Old School RuneScape, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Old School RuneScape alone supports over 250,000 concurrent players, demonstrating the franchise’s continuing appeal.
Historically positioned as the perennial runner-up to World of Warcraft, RuneScape has maintained its relevance and longevity—actually predating WoW’s launch. The CEO’s declaration to overtake the industry leader represents a bold statement of ambition for the veteran MMO, betting on player-friendly monetization practices and platform expansion as the path forward.