Two years of hard work and development have gone by and Jagex has declared that the much-anticipated RuneScape 3 Avatar Refresh update is no longer being pursued. Despite this, the development of RuneScape 3 is still progressing as expected, with the new Necromancy skill set to be launched in 2023.
Although RuneScape 3 has never been renowned for its visuals, the questing and exploration it offers have made it a renowned MMORPG. However, the art style is somewhat disjointed due to its gradual visual updates over the years. This has resulted in older models from the early 2000s and 2010s being seen alongside newer models, making it evident.
In a recent developer live stream, Mod Hooli of Jagex announced that the Avatar Refresh update is postponed for the time being. The sheer size of the project is cited as the main reason, with every wearable item in the game needing to be redesigned. This is a setback for RuneScape 3 players, especially with the Old School RuneScape team recently announcing a new skill. Although the video does not definitively nix the possibility of the project being worked on in the future, players should not anticipate any progress in the near term since active development is not currently underway.
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Players have expressed their displeasure with the announcement, after two years of building anticipation. One user in the Reddit discussion suggested that “even with a large scope, [Jagex] might not realize it’s only ever going to become more expansive?” RuneScape 3 regularly adds more and more cosmetics and armor, which are made for the existing player characters. This has caused some fear that the undertaking may become too daunting and an avatar update might never be realized. The RuneScape community has been hostile to Jagex before, so it will be interesting to see if the launch of Necromancy will be enough to appease the players.
Many expected that the Avatar Refresh would be a major improvement to RuneScape 3, reintroducing the game to current graphical standards. Jagex has been dedicating plenty of effort to the game, unveiling updates that are aimed at gaining new players. For instance, the Fresh Start Worlds update is a great illustration of Jagex’s attempts to keep the game relevant. Unfortunately, many fans are of the opinion that the halt of updates such as the Avatar Refresh is a setback for the game.
It is now possible to play RuneScape 3 on PC, iOS, and Android platforms.
