As the team is preparing to launch Varlamore: The Final Dawn, there will be no game update next week, although there will be the usual quick reboot to adjust the PvP World Rota. See you on July 23rd for the final instalment of the Shining Kingdom!
A new renderer rises! Plus: stackable Clue tweaks, a new Revenant Ether source and more…
Changelog July 9th
[expand type=show more]
New Renderer
- The new renderer beta for the Official Client will go live at 11:30am BST today![/*]
- When playing on the Official Client (desktop and mobile), find the new setting under the Experimental header in the display settings, or in the quick access settings tab.[/*]
- You can force-disable the new renderer from the login page - this ignores your renderer setting in-game.[/*]
- Check the newspost or the original blog for known issues.[/*]
- Please note that using the new renderer at this early stage may be risky, so we recommend avoiding high-stakes gameplay.[/*]
Stackable Clues Tweaks
- Added Mimic dry protection:[/*] [list]
- You’ll be guaranteed a Mimic encounter on either your 10th Master or 25th Elite clue.[/*]
- If you’ve already passed this threshold for Elite or Master clues, but you haven't obtained one or unlocked the music track already, you’ll get a Mimic encounter on your next clue of that tier.[/*]
- This guaranteed encounter is a one-time deal - so if you trigger it on your 25th Elite, you won’t get another on your 10th Master.[/*]
Chiselling for Ether
- >You can now use a chisel on Ancient Artefacts to break them into Revenant Ether, providing 1 Ether for every 500 GP.[/*]
Other Changes
- You can now open the World Map by pressing Ctrl + M.[/*]
- Obor and Bryophyta's chests now each drop a guaranteed Beginner Clue Scroll, provided you have space to receive it.[/*]
- Yama's Elite Clue drop rate is now 1/30 instead of 1/66. We announced this change back in May, but some pesky backend gremlins got hold of the update. It’s all sorted now – apologies for the oopsie![/*]
- Fixed a bug where the "I Should See a Doctor" Combat Achievement couldn't be completed at Nex, due to the cough effects getting cleared upon reaching the final phase.[/*]
- The 'Raffle' button no longer appears on Group Ironman Settings menus, as it's been nearly three years since the last Raffle and there are currently no plans to run another.[/*]
Plus, a hotfix we rolled out late last week:
- >In permanent Deadman, Scroll Boxes now work as expected with and without the Stockpiling charm.[/*]
PvP Rota
The PvP rota has moved to Period A:
- 539 - (US) - PvP World[/*]
- 318 - (UK) - Bounty Hunter World[/*]
- 548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World[/*]
- 577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World[/*]
- 559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive[/*]
World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been activated with this rota.
World 569 (AUS) for Bounty Hunter has been activated with this rota.
The PvP Arena is using 'Zerker' loadouts in Ranked Duels and Tournaments this week.
[/expand]
New Renderer
The new renderer goes live in-game today!
You can read all about the new renderer in last week’s blog, here, but we’ll give you the lowdown here as well.
The renderer is the part of the game engine that draws each frame, working with your device’s hardware to turn data into images. The current renderer is based on the Java version of the game, with roots tracing back decades. The mission is to migrate our Official Client to a new renderer, with settings that maintain the current, classic look of the game. This is also the foundation of the upcoming HD mode, and once released, you'll be able to toggle between the OSRS classic graphics (SD) and HD whenever you fancy; all within the new renderer!
We’ve been testing the build internally across the range of devices we have, but this is a fraction of the desktop configurations and mobile devices out there. This means we need your help to catch any bugs we’ve missed! We've set up a new forum space in our Official Discord server for you to share any performance hiccups, visual oddities, or crashes you encounter when using the new renderer. It's really helpful if you can share your device type and settings, too!
Please note that using the new renderer at this stage may be risky, so we recommend avoiding high-stakes gameplay!
Getting In
Firstly, make sure you're playing on client 231.2, this might mean you need to update the app if on mobile.
You’ll find the new setting under the Experimental header in the display settings, or in the quick access settings tab.
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
We've also added a 'Force Disable New Renderer' button to the title screen. Clicking this will force the game to start with the original renderer, ignoring your selection in-game. This means that if you hit an issue while using the new renderer and find yourself unable to get back into the game because of it, you can easily swap back to the original and continue your grind.
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
Known Issues
This new renderer is launching as a beta, meaning there will definitely be bugs. We’ve already spotted a few of them and will be keeping an updated Known Issues list on this page and on the new renderer blog. This is because the beta is not time-limited, it'll continue to be available in Beta format until we're confident it's ready to be fully launched, at which point it'll replace the existing Official Client renderer. We went into a little more depth about some of these bugs in our earlier blog, but here we're just going to give you a real simple overview of those we know about.
- Load times are slower than they should be.[/*]
- There are still many areas, particularly the PoH and boss arenas, with visual issues including shimmering surfaces and missing detail.[/*]
- Some holes in the ground, doorways and pathways to different levels will appear blocked or blank. Don't worry though, they’re still fully interactable.[/*]
- Objects or effects with transparency, like crystals, smoke, and overlays are not rendering as intended.[/*]
- Some clothing items (e.g. Skill Capes, amulets) may be missing pattern detail.[/*]
- Sometimes, when toggling the new renderer, the ground may fail to load and will appear black. Toggling the renderer again should address it.[/*]
- Sometimes, when toggling the new renderer, it may show a single frame from the previous time the new renderer was active. It looks like your character has randomly teleported for a split second - they haven't![/*]
- Some textures may appear incorrect, or squashed.[/*]
- Draw distance currently does not work and is always set to max.[/*]
- Changing the brightness currently results in a significant redraw.[/*]
- Some avatars and NPCs may appear to be sinking into the ground.[/*]
- Some NPCs may have animation issues where they appear to shrink for a few frames.[/*]
- Some hitsplats and health bars may appear offset from where they should be.[/*]
- Desktop only: opening the popout panel squishes the aspect ratio of the game panel.[/*]
- Desktop only: in 'Fixed - Classic Layout', changing the window size squashes the aspect ratio of the game.[/*]
We’ll continue to fix these bugs while responding to your feedback. The aim is to reach a point where the new renderer becomes the default and we can retire the original, paving the way for future improvements and the much-anticipated HD mode!
FAQ
After last week’s blog you had some burning questions for us, so we thought we’d send over some answers!
Is this available on mobile?
It is! The new renderer beta is on both desktop and mobile when using the Official Client.
Can I see a side by side?
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
Here you go - a little side-by-side of a classic locale! Our aim is to be as faithful to the original as possible. At this early stage we know things aren't 100% correct yet. Please bear with us, and please report any errors you encounter.
Does it affect my experience on RuneLite?
The new renderer is part of the Official Client which is written in C++. RuneLite is based on the Java client and is not affected by this release.
Will the new renderer allow me to scale my UI?
We already have settings for this! You need to head to Interface then Interface scaling in your settings menu.
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
Keep an eye out for the new renderer going live, and remember to join the #new-renderer-bugs channel in our Official Discord server to help us bash those bugs!
Stackable Clue Tweaks
Last week saw the much-anticipated arrival of Stackable Clue Scrolls! Now that we’re into the second week of Stackable Clues, we’re looking at making the system that little bit smoother.
First up: securing a Mimic encounter. Since one way to increase your Clue Scroll capacity is by consuming a Mimic Scroll Case - earned from the Mimic boss - we’ve added Mimic dry protection to help keep your clue-hunting journey on track. Here's how it works:
- You’ll be guaranteed a Mimic encounter on either your 10th Master or 25th Elite clue, if you have Mimic encounters enabled.[/*]
- If you’ve already passed this threshold for Elite or Master clues, but you haven't obtained one or unlocked the music track already, you’ll get a Mimic encounter on your next clue of that tier.[/*]
- This guaranteed encounter is a one-time deal - so if you trigger it on your 25th Elite, you won’t get another on your 10th Master.[/*]
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
We’ve also got a couple of smaller fixes:
- Completing X Marks the Spot quest now awards a Beginner Scroll Box rather than a Beginner Clue Scroll.[/*]
- Fixed a bug where the Minor Scroll Case didn't show up in the Collection Log, even though its +1 cap was correctly applied after completing X Marks the Spot and unlocking the Major Scroll Case retroactively.[/*]
Happy clue hunting, and may the RNG gods be with you!
Chiselling for Ether
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
Up next, we have an update from Poll 84. Those who were eagerly waiting for a new way to get Revenant Ether - today is your day!
Previously, charging a Revenant weapon required a hefty 1,000 Revenant Ether, making it tough for Iron players to use these powerful drops due to the upkeep cost. To ease that pain point, there’s now an alternative source of Ether in town: Ancient Artefacts, which can be broken down with a bog-standard Chisel.
Use your Chisel on Ancient Artefacts to break them into Revenant Ether and get 1 Ether for every 500 GP. This offers a solid and more flexible alternative to simply trading them in to the Emblem Trader – if you've already secured a Revenant weapon, this will be a new way to help sustain it.
Here’s how the breakdown looks:
- Emblem: 500,000 GP or 1,000 Ether[/*]
- Ancient Totem: 1,000,000 GP or 2,000 Ether[/*]
- Ancient Artefacts: 2,000,000 GP or 4,000 Ether[/*]
- Ancient Medallion: 4,000,000 GP or 8,000 Ether[/*]
- Ancient Effigy: 8,000,000 GP or 16,000 Ether[/*]
- Ancient Relic: 16,000,000 GP or 32,000 Ether[/*]
This is by no means a new money-making method. Rather, it gives players who have no need for extra GP a more impactful way to charge their Wilderness weapons. If you're someone who’s deep in the Wilderness grind, this should go a long way towards making Revenant weapons more viable long-term.
Varlamore: The Final Dawn is Two Weeks Away!
It's The Final Count-Dawn - the third and final instalment of the Varlamore trilogy will release in two weeks! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 23rd.
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
You’ve probably seen all the proposal blogs and polls for Varlamore: The Final Dawn by now. But with so much packed into the final chapter of Varlamore, it’s worth a quick refresher. You’ll find a full breakdown of the new content here, details on the Delve Boss rewards here, and everything you need to know about the new Fletching activity rewards here.
In just fourteen days, you’ll:
- Embark on the epic finale of the Varlamore questline.[/*]
- Face Old School’s first-ever Delve Boss: the fearsome Doom of Mokhaiotl.[/*]
- Expand your Slayer grind with a new dungeon and deadly Custodia Stalkers.[/*]
- Explore Auburnvale's autumn-hued forests and partake in a brand-new Fletching activity.[/*]
- Challenge the Gemstone Crab and a new type of Nagua.[/*]
Whether you're a skiller, PvMer, or lore lover, Varlamore: The Final Dawn brings a fresh adventure for everyone.
Missed the trailer for the Doom of Mokhaiotl? Tune in below!
https://youtu.be/aKzgJ6yeoYs?si=0N0srtX03yyVQZIk
With the team hard at work preparing for this major release, there will be no game update next week. We will however reboot the game to adjust the PvP World Rota as we normally do. See you on the 23rd, for more shiny adventures in the Shining Kingdom!
On the topic of Varlamore...
Varlamore Community Spotlight
RAC Community Contest
One week before the launch of Varlamore: The Final Dawn, the one and only RuneScape Art Community is kicking off a Varlamore Art Challenge!
To take part, head over to the RuneScape Art Community Discord, find the #Varlamore-Art-Challenge channel (which will open on the first day of the event) and submit your artwork based on the week's theme. A new theme will be revealed each week over the course of four weeks - so get those creative juices flowing!
The Art Community team will reveal the new theme each week, but we can give you a little sneak peek at week one right now! Drawn Before the Dawn (begins July 14th): show us your artwork inspired by existing Varlamore content!
This four week long contest opens at 10:00 BST, July 14th 2025 and closes at 10:00 BST, August 11th 2025.
There will be four winners with a winner from each of the thematic weeks. Each winner will get to snag:
- 1 x Capybara plushie from Makeship[/*]
- 1 x Gift of Guthix Novel[/*]
- 1 x RuneScape: The Official Cookbook[/*]
Keep an eye on the RuneScape Art Community Discord for more details!
RAC Art Fight!
Sticking with our friends over on the RuneScape Art Community Discord where their annual Art Fight has been given a Varlamorian twist!
What is an Art Fight?
An Art Fight is a 'friendly' competition between two teams of artists in which they 'attack' one another using artwork of their opponent's character. The attacks are scored based on a variety of different criteria, and the team with the most points is declared the victor!
The RuneScape Art Community hosts an Art Fight every summer, and this year it's been Varlamored! Artists can couple up their art attacks with the Main Varlamore art challenge. Plus, they're going to reward extra points to the team for any attacks fitting the weekly prompt! So, artists can hit two quetzals with one stone.
There's no prize for this one, but we wanted to shout out this fun, arty challenge. We can't wait to see the artwork being shared!
OSRS Discord Banner Contest
We’ve also been running a Varlamore challenge on our official Discord server. Design a Varlamore: The Final Dawn inspired Discord banner for a chance to be featured on our Discord and win an Old School RuneScape Bond! The banner size needs to be 960x540 pixels with 16:9 aspect ratio.
To enter, find the Varlamore Discord Banner Competition thread under the #server-events channel and submit your art piece before the competition closes on Thursday, July 17th 2025 at 23:59 BST - there's only 9 days left to enter!
On that note, we'd like to shoutout our ever-growing Discord community: our official Discord server has just reached over 200,000 members! Our Discord is a space where you can get up to date with the latest news on Old School, chat with fellow 'Scapers, interact with J-Mods, join community and J-Mod run events, enter contests and more! If you’re yet to become a member, click here to join us!
Other Changes
Ever wanted to open the World Map with a hotkey instead of clicking the icon every single time? You're not alone! We’ve seen a growing number of players requesting this feature - especially fresh faces who have joined the game and 'Scapers who also echo this requests. As of this update, you can now press Ctrl + M to instantly open the Gielinor World Map pop up - this is of course a desktop-only feature. To turn it off, you can disable the World Map Hotkeys box under the Controls tab or just search for "World Map" in the Settings menu.
If you can’t see the image above, click here!
Now, on to the rest of the changes:
- Obor and Bryophyta's chests now each drop a guaranteed Beginner Clue Scroll, provided you have space to receive it.[/*]
- Yama's Elite Clue drop rate is now 1/30 instead of 1/66. We announced this change back in May, but some pesky backend gremlins got hold of the update. It’s all sorted now – apologies for the oopsie![/*]
- Fixed a bug where the "I Should See a Doctor" Combat Achievement couldn't be completed at Nex, due to the cough effects getting cleared upon reaching the final phase.[/*]
- The 'Raffle' button no longer appears on Group Ironman Settings menus, as it's been nearly three years since the last Raffle and there are currently no plans to run another.[/*]
Plus, a hotfix we rolled out late last week:
- >In permanent Deadman, Scroll Boxes now work as expected with and without the Stockpiling charm.[/*]
PvP World Rota
The PvP rota has moved to Period A:
- 539 - (US) - PvP World[/*]
- 318 - (UK) - Bounty Hunter World[/*]
- 548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World[/*]
- 577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World[/*]
- 559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive[/*]
World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been activated with this rota.
World 569 (AUS) for Bounty Hunter has been activated with this rota.
The PvP Arena is using 'Zerker' loadouts in Ranked Duels and Tournaments this week.
You can also discuss this update on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel. For more info on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.
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