This week in Old School RS, the spotlight is on the latest Player vs. Player (PVP) survey, critical updates to the Bounty Hunter (BH) minigame, and a variety of quality-of-life improvements aimed at revitalizing the PVP scene. Jagex is once again reaching out to players for feedback on PVP content, hoping to shape its direction into 2025 and beyond. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent announcements and what they mean for the game’s PVP community.

 

2024 OSRS PVP Survey: A Call for Community Feedback

 

Jagex has launched a comprehensive survey asking players to share their views on PVP in OSRS, particularly in the Wilderness. While the survey encountered some technical hiccups—reportedly crashing for some users—a direct link to the survey has been provided to reduce access issues.

 

The goal of this survey is straightforward: Jagex wants to understand what drives players to engage with PVP, what types of content they enjoy, and what would encourage them to participate in PVP more frequently. Similar to a survey conducted back in 2021, this one seeks to delve into players' personal experiences with PVP, their grasp of its mechanics, and the reasons they might avoid it. For OSRS purists, PVP has always been a cornerstone of the game, and Jagex aims to preserve that legacy by listening to the community’s input.

 

PVP in OSRS: A Brief Historical Perspective

 

When OSRS was first launched, PVP was a central part of the game. Many players built accounts solely for Player Killing (PKing) in the Wilderness, where resources like sharks and potions were in high demand to sustain lengthy battles. PVP-driven gameplay dominated the early days, but the broader community leaned toward skilling, questing, and other types of content over time.

 

Even today, PVP remains integral to OSRS, evidenced by the popularity of events like Deadman Mode and various PVP tournaments. However, recent updates to Wilderness content and PVP mechanics have been met with mixed reactions. Many players feel the updates don’t meet their expectations, with some changes failing in the game’s polling system. The survey aims to cut through these polarizing opinions, providing Jagex with a clearer sense of what will resonate with the PVP community.

 

Upcoming PVP Quality of Life Changes

 

To kick off the PVP improvements, Jagex has begun implementing quality-of-life (QoL) updates aimed at refining the player experience in both the Wilderness and the PVP Arena. Here are some of the notable QoL changes slated for release over the coming weeks:

 

1. Blighted Items in the Ferox Enclave and Mage Bank: Players will soon be able to use blighted items in these key PVP areas, adding strategic depth and accessibility to certain Wilderness zones.

2. Loot Key Adjustments: A significant tweak allows players to delete loot keys if they’re worth more than 1 million GP, up from the previous threshold of 30,000 GP. This change aims to streamline inventory management for high-value loot, making it easier to manage larger spoils.

3. Loot Bag Improvements: Loot from items like Larran’s big and small chests and the muddy chest will now go directly into a looting bag if it’s open. This adjustment reduces the need for players to manually transfer items, cutting down on time and risk in high-stakes Wilderness areas.

4. Anti-Boxing Mechanic Revision: In Bounty Hunter worlds with shorter player-attack timers (PJ timers), Jagex is removing the anti-boxing mechanism. This allows for smoother transitions between players without interruptions in multi-combat zones.

5. Combat Zone Interaction Fixes: Changes are coming to address issues when players transition between single and multi-combat zones. Jagex intends to prevent exploits where players in multi-combat zones are attacked from single-combat zones, removing the “already under attack” message that complicates combat flow.

 

Bounty Hunter Updates: Addressing Imbalances and Expanding Variety

 

Bounty Hunter made its return to OSRS in 2023, and after months of feedback, Jagex is introducing a wave of changes to make the mode more balanced and engaging. These updates focus on creating more variety in player builds, balancing rewards, and refining core mechanics.

 

Weapon and Armor Adjustments in Bounty Hunter

 

Several exclusive Bounty Hunter items are receiving significant adjustments to enhance balance and variety. For instance:

 

• Dark Bow: Its special attack energy cost is increasing from 45% to 55%, aiming to curb its frequent usage and make other special attacks more competitive.

• Magic Bonuses: Items like Zuriel’s Robe Bottom are seeing increased bonuses to make them more appealing options within the Bounty Hunter minigame.

 

These adjustments are designed to reduce extreme imbalances, encourage diverse builds, and improve underutilized items. Jagex emphasizes that these changes are confined to Bounty Hunter and won’t impact the main game.

 

Systemic Changes to Bounty Hunter

 

Alongside the item balancing, Jagex is also implementing systemic changes within Bounty Hunter to address certain gameplay mechanics:

 

• Phoenix Necklace Restriction: The Phoenix Necklace will no longer be allowed in the Bounty Hunter crater, a move designed to prevent overly defensive playstyles that reduce the pace and excitement of 1v1 encounters.

• Increased EP Gain: Players with a Bounty Hunter target will now gain Experience Points (EP) at twice the previous rate, provided they’re risking a minimum of 50,000 OSRS gold. This change is aimed at improving rewards for players who engage in fair, target-based combat.

 

Moreover, the iconic Bounty Hunter skulls are making a comeback. These skulls represent the GP risk level of a player, with bronze indicating risks below 200,000 GP and red for risks above 8 million GP. Trading is also being disabled within the Bounty Hunter crater to prevent last-minute item swaps before combat, ensuring that players enter fights with consistent risk levels.

 

System-Wide Changes to Improve the PVP Experience

 

While many of these adjustments focus on Bounty Hunter, there are broader PVP improvements in the works as well. To make combat zones easier to navigate, Jagex is considering options for clearly displaying the boundaries between single and multi-combat zones. This would help players avoid accidental engagements or misplays due to unclear combat borders, which is a common source of frustration.

 

Encouraging Player Participation and Feedback

 

Jagex is urging all OSRS players, whether PVP veterans or Wilderness novices, to participate in the PVP survey. The feedback gathered from this survey will directly inform future updates and help Jagex strike a balance between preserving the challenge of PVP and making it accessible to newer players. The survey touches on topics such as how well players understand Wilderness mechanics, their experiences with PVP across other games, and their preferences for learning about OSRS’s unique PVP system.

 

Looking Forward: The Future of OSRS PVP

 

As OSRS heads into 2025, the game’s PVP landscape continues to evolve. The passion within the PVP community, combined with the game’s storied history in competitive PKing, means that PVP will always be a focal point. Whether it’s refining Bounty Hunter, updating Wilderness mechanics, or experimenting with new combat systems, Jagex seems committed to fostering an engaging and balanced PVP environment.

 

With updates like these and a focus on gathering community insights, OSRS has the potential to see a revitalized PVP scene in the coming year. For players who want their voices heard, now’s the time to share thoughts through the survey and help shape the game’s direction.

 

RSorder Team