Four score and twenty years ago, Jagex released RuneScape, the fantasy MMORPG that paved the way for the likes of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. Now in 2023, over two decades from release, RuneScape is finally adding its first new combat skill, Necromancy, and it’s available to play right now.
In the Necromancy update, you’ll be thrust deep into the heart of the underworld City of Um, where you’re tasked with the freeing lost souls trapped within. There are nine new quests, two intense boss fights, and, of course, the all-new Necromancy skill specialization.
You’ll wield a Death Guard and Skull Lantern, which allow you to summon three different types of undead creature – skeletons, zombies, and ghosts. You can play the class as a tank up until level 70, where you’ll then be able to switch across to the power tree if you prefer dealing damage and sending Gielinor’s horrors straight back to the maw they crawled out of.
From here, you’ll be able to get even more equipment up until level 90, where you’ll have to beat a terrifying new boss in order to progress further. That’s not all, though, as your Necromancy journey is just beginning.
Jagex also reveals an upcoming content roadmap, laying out all of the different challenges that your lantern-wielding dark artist will have to face. In September there’ll be another major game update, followed by a new quest in October entitled ‘Ancient Awakening,’ topped off with a nasty looking new boss that we’ll be able to fight come November.
All of this will be influenced by player feedback, of course, showcased by the Old School RuneScape devs when they considered adding a new skill. In an exclusive interview with PCGamesN ahead of the OSRS Desert Treasure update, the team told us about all of the polls and processes that precede the release of a new class and, frankly, it’s awesome to see how much they care.
For a full breakdown of everything that’s coming in the Necromancy update, you can check out Jagex’s official post here – there’s an awful lot to get excited about, after all.
If you’ve been playing RuneScape since it first dropped, relive some of the best videogame moments ever with our interview about the making of Runescape. We also have a list of some other free MMOs for you to peruse once you’ve completed all things Necromancy.