Old School RuneScape developers warn game is running out of space after 25 years

Old School RuneScape developers say MMO is close to reaching its item ID capacity after 25 years running

A developer working on Old School RuneScape has revealed that the long-running MMORPG is approaching a technical limit tied to the number of in-game items and objects it can support.

The discussion began after a user on the 2007scape subreddit shared a fake post attributed to Jagex Product Manager Mod Ash.

The joke post claimed the game’s engine had “finally reached its limit” and suggested the only solution was to delete the game entirely.

While the post was intended humourously, Jagex developer Mod Nin responded with a genuine concern about the game’s infrastructure.

“You joke, but we are imminently going to run out of IDs to assign to models and scenery, so we need to do a bunch of work to stop the game exploding soon,” the developer wrote.

In RuneScape, every object in the game world is assigned a unique identification number. These IDs apply to weapons, scenery, environmental objects and other in-game assets, allowing developers and players to distinguish each item individually.

Given that RuneScape has existed in various forms for around 25 years, the game now contains thousands of objects and assets. According to the developer, the system is approaching its current technical capacity.

Mod Nin also revealed this is not the first time the issue has surfaced. In another reply, the developer said the same limitation appeared around May 2018.

“Either the developer at the time was in a bit of a hurry (likely) or didn’t have much faith in the longevity of the game (who knows), as they only doubled the available capacity,” the response stated.

Old School RuneScape launched 13 years ago as a revival of the game’s 2007 version, which itself originated from RuneScape’s original 2001 release.

The developers did not specify exactly how close the game is to reaching the limit or what technical changes may be required, but the team indicated work is already underway to avoid future issues.