After trying to mitigate the backlash, the Fresh Start Worlds could have gone a little smoother.
RuneScape’s Fresh Start Worlds Suffer a Rocky Start as Controversy Lingers
Written by Ollie Bradley at 09/27/2022, 02:56 AM
Fresh Start Worlds just dropped in RuneScape and it's been...a little bit rocky. Thanks to some teething problems, the planned launch was delayed by several hours, further stoking the controversy that has inevitably sprung up around the concept. But while the decision to introduce this new game mode has been met with a degree of animosity, there are still large contingents getting stuck in and enjoying the freshened-up experience regardless.
For those that don't know, the RuneScape Fresh Start Worlds is an optional game mode for RuneScape members to enjoy a totally clean slate as part of the 300 Million Accounts Celebrations. This includes a brand-new economy, Grand Exchange, Hi-Scores, and even an accelerated XP boost for faster levelling. Players can then move their Fresh Start Worlds character over to the main game when the new game mode closes after four months.
But while the idea might seem harmless fun geared towards enticing new players, it has failed to win over many RuneScape vets. Mainly because they see the initiative - which requires purchasing a new membership for the new world - as little more than a cash grab.
But despite the changes that Jagex made in response to the initial backlash, certain criticisms remain. Criticisms that were only exacerbated by a rocky launch that saw Fresh Start Worlds servers go down for four hours yesterday.
Despite this, Jagex rectified the issues and is now ploughing ahead with the new RuneScape game mode regardless. And to kick things off, the first eight weeks of the event will see players race to World Firsts. That is, the first to reach 99 to 120 in each skill, the first to achieve the Quest cape (all quests completed), and the first to achieve the Max Cap. The Treasure Hunter and premium XP benefits will both be unavailable during this period, while bonds will be limited to one per week until the competition ends.
Jagex also revealed that Old School RuneScape will enjoy its own Fresh Start Worlds from October 19th, which will run for six months. Here's hoping Jagex learned from the launch of RuneScape's Fresh Start Worlds and delivers a smoother launch in a few weeks' time.