Mid-Game Rebalance Is Live!

Hello 'Scapers! 

The Mid-Game Rebalance has arrived, with a strong focus on improving the mid-game experience through targeted buffs and quality-of-life upgrades. Our goal is to bring key areas of progression up to more modern standards and make the journey through the mid-game more rewarding.

Let's get into it!

Index:

• Core Fletching Re-Tier

• Agility Rebalance

• Divination Reblance

• God Wars Dungeon Changes

• General Changes

• Drop Rate Changes

Most of this may feel familiar to some you if you already checked out our preview a few weeks back - since then we've changed the following things, so do check out the details on those below:

Changes since the Mid-Game Rebalance Preview:

• Further buffed XP for Anachronia full lap completions (details in Agility Rebalance).

• Further buffed XP for Harmonic Dust (details in General Changes).

• Removed negative perks from invention (details in General Changes).

• Increased the weighting for Vannaka to offer Sanguine Crawler tasks.

• The Artificers measure now has parity with the new Upgraded Gem bag and can be filled with Opal, Jade and Topaz gems as well as noted gems.

Core Fletching Re-Tier

The Fletching re-tier has been in the works for quite some time, and the Mid-Game Rebalance provides the perfect opportunity to finally bring it to life.

Over the years, a number of inconsistencies have appeared throughout Fletching progression. Certain weapons and ammunition have level requirements that don't align with similarly powerful equipment found elsewhere in the game, while some level bands contain noticeable gaps or confusing progression paths. Some of these issues have also emerged as a result of previous Woodcutting tiering changes.

This update aims to address the majority of those inconsistencies, creating a more logical and intuitive progression path for both Fletching and Ranged combat. By aligning item requirements more closely with their power, filling progression gaps, and improving consistency across level bands, we want the journey from early levels through to 99 and beyond to feel smoother, easier to understand, and more rewarding.

It's important to note that this update focuses on re-tiering the core Fletching skill rather than overhauling it entirely. As a result, not every Fletching item has been revisited as part of this project. Darts, knives, and javelins will remain unchanged for now.

Given their relatively low usage in the current game, we felt comfortable prioritising other areas of Fletching progression for this update. However, we're keen to revisit these items in the future as part of a broader review of their role and relevance within RuneScape's combat and skilling ecosystems.

Summary of Changes

• Retiered existing Shortbows, Longbows, Crossbows and 2h Crossbows  

  • Yew shortbows and longbows are retiered to level 70 and, as a result, have become members only items. Free-to-play players will still have level 40 and 50 Ranged options through Maple and Acadia bows.

• Added in additional Shortbows, Longbows, Crossbows and 2h Crossbows to fill in holes in the leveling.

• Shieldbows are being retired and replaced wholesale with their equivalent tier Longbows. 

  • Our data indicates that shieldbows have been left in such an awkward space that their usage is incredibly low, meaning that they actually add bloat and inconsistency to the game. By replacing them with Longbows we expect the choice of bow to be made easier and less confusing for players. 

    • The primary reason for this change is because shieldbows have acted as a bit of a trap to newer players who are fletching them without realising that they deal vastly reduced damage compared to an equivalent shortbow, despite them having a higher fletching requirement. 

  • All current shieldbows gain +1 range when converted to longbows.

  • The Strykebow remain as a shieldbow.

• Standardised metal usage in Crossbow creation.

• Drop tables and shop inventory containing items that have been retiered, where appropriate, are replaced with the new item for that range level instead.

• Achievements and quests are adjusted where needed to account for these retiering changes.

• Added in missing tiers of Arrows & Bolts (Orikalkum → Elder Rune)

• Bane ammunition has been changed from having its own special creation methods to be unified with regular arrows and bolts.

  • Tune Bane Ore can be cast on bane bolts/arrows, rather than banite ore or banite rock, to enchant them into Abyssal/Basilisk/Dragon/Wallasalkibane bolts/arrows.

  • Tune Bane Ore can still be cast on Dinarrows to enchant them into Jas Demonbane arrows.

• Primal ammunition has also been unified to be created in the same way as regular arrows and bolts.

  • Unf bolts are created by bars and feathered like regular bolts.

  • Primal bolts are made in increments of 50 Unf bolts per bar, bringing them in line with all other bolt creation quantities

    • The bolt and arrow proficiency leveling benefits have been removed, but their XP when you first unlock them has a higher baseline.

Fletching Re-tier Tables

Shortbows

Longbows

Note that we are not planning to introduce Teak and Mahogany Short or Longbows, as these are considered hardwood, which is entirely unsuitable for use in bow fletching. 

For Crossbows, Arrows and Bolts, head across to our blog HERE to see the full tables of changes.

Agility Rebalance

Following the Early-Game Rebalance, we're revisiting Agility courses all the way to level 99. These changes focus on creating a more consistent progression curve across the skill, with most courses receiving substantial XP-per-hour increases to make training feel smoother, more rewarding, and better balanced at every level.

Divination Rebalance

We're making changes to Divination as part of our ongoing effort to improve progression throughout the game. Rather than directly increasing XP rates, these changes focus on making energy gathering feel more consistent as you level up, avoiding situations where unlocking a new energy type can feel slower or less effective than what came before.

As a general rule, we're aiming for players to have around a 70% success rate when they first unlock a new energy type, helping new unlocks feel rewarding from the moment they're available.

The changes below show the average increase to your chance of gathering each type of energy across its level range. Players will see the biggest benefits when they first unlock a new energy type, with the bonus gradually settling into its long-term value as they continue training.

For example, a player unlocking Gleaming energy at level 50 would previously have had around a 64.9% chance to successfully gather energy. With this update, that increases to 70%, and continues to improve as their Divination level rises. Over time, this works out to an average increase of around 4% across the level band, helping to smooth out the gathering experience while providing a small boost to XP rates through more consistent successful gathers.

The values below show the average increase to your energy gathering success rate across each energy type's level range. New unlocks will receive a larger boost initially before settling to these long-term values.

God Wars Dungeon Changes:

We're making some changes to God Wars Dungeon 1, which can currently feel overly punishing for players entering the mid-game. While the experience improves as your account progresses, taking your first steps into the dungeon can be slower and more challenging than intended. These updates aim to make that initial experience smoother and more enjoyable.

• To make repeat trips to God Wars Dungeon 1 less frustrating, killcount now works similarly to God Wars Dungeon 2. Your killcount is no longer lost when leaving the dungeon, allowing you to build and maintain it across multiple visits.

• To balance this change, killcount is now be capped at 200.

• With these updates in place, the Omni Soulstone and the Armadylean, Bandosian, Saradominist, and Zamorakian Soulstones have been removed, as they are no longer needed to support the killcount system.

We're also making some changes to God Wars Dungeon 2. While the Reputation system was designed to reward long-term engagement, it currently takes too long to unlock its full benefits, with many players progressing beyond the dungeon before reaching maximum drop rates. These changes aim to make the rewards more accessible and the overall progression feel more worthwhile:

• Maximum reputation has been reduced from 5,000 to 2,000, with all reputation rewards rescaled to match the new progression curve.

• Drop-rate unlocks have been removed from the Reputation system. All players now benefit from the highest available drop rates from the moment they start tackling God Wars Dungeon 2 bosses, removing the need to grind reputation before accessing the dungeon's best rewards.

  • Reputation can still be earned to unlock its associated rewards, but it should now feel like a natural bonus earned through gameplay rather than a prerequisite for efficient bossing.

    • As part of these changes, the "The Venerated" title has been moved down one reward tier, making it available earlier in the reputation journey.

General Changes:

• Demonic Skull

  • The Demonic Skull was originally introduced as a risk-versus-reward mechanic, but we feel its role in the game is no longer meaningful. Following feedback and a review of its place in modern RuneScape, we're removing the item with this update.

    • The Demonic Skull is no longer be obtainable, and any players who own one when the update launches should receive a full refund of its purchase cost.

• Invention Perks

  • Invention can be a difficult skill to get into, particularly for newer players. One of the biggest pain points is the number of negative perks that can appear on gizmos, making progression feel punishing and discouraging experimentation. To make the skill more approachable and reduce unnecessary frustration, we're removing the following perks entirely:

    • Antitheism

    • Profane

    • Inaccurate

    • Junk Food

    • Undead Bait

    • Demon Bait

    • Dragon Bait

    • Cautious

    • Mediocrity

    • Fatiguing

    • Committed

    • Butterfingers

    • Blunted

    • Cheapskate

    • Confused

      • Any existing gizmos or augmented items containing these perks have had the affected perk removed automatically.

• Dive Ability

  • This ability is currently locked behind the "Succession" Quest, which requires 60 Mining and 60 Smithing to complete. These requirements feel out of step with the ability itself, creating an unnecessary progression barrier and making the unlock path feel inconsistent.

    • To better align the ability with its intended use, it no longer require completion of Succession and instead is unlocked naturally at 30 Agility.

• Red and Crystal Sandstone

  • We've heard your feedback on sandstone mining, and we agree that it still feels slower than we'd like. With flask prices continuing to rise, we think it's the right time to make gathering sandstone quicker and more rewarding.

    • To help with this, we've reduced the hitpoints of all sandstone rocks by 50, allowing them to be mined more quickly.

      • We're also giving an additional boost to the higher-tier sandstone sources. Sophanem Red Sandstone (unlocked through the Elite Desert Tasks) and Meilyr Crystal Sandstone (found in the Edimmu Resource Dungeon) have had their hitpoints reduced by a further 50, making these premium sources even faster to gather from.

• Harmonium Harps

  • With the removal of the Travelling Merchant, we've seen feedback that obtaining Harmonic Dust now feels more time-consuming than intended. To help offset this and keep progression towards crystal tools and equipment feeling reasonable, we're increasing the rate at which Harmonic Dust is earned from harps.

    • Harmonic Dust gained from harps has been increased by 40%. This should make gathering Harmonic Dust feel significantly less grindy while preserving it as a meaningful long-term goal.

• Instances

  • Instance costs are being removed from all boss encounters. These fees no longer provide meaningful gameplay value and can act as an unnecessary barrier, particularly for players learning new bosses.

    • Boss-specific entry requirements remain unchanged, so you'll still need items such as Ascension Keystones, Keys to the Crossing, and Barrows Totems where applicable.

• TzRek-Jad (Jad Pet)

  • This pet was previously purchased with Zeal or Thaler and felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the boss pets. For this reason it has been moved be onto Jad's drop table and collection log. Please note, however, that this pet will not be able to be set as an override for familiars.

• Upgraded Gem Bag & Artificer's Measure

  • The Upgraded Gem Bag has felt a little inconsistent, particularly when upgrading to the enhanced version. We want it to feel like a more natural progression upgrade and a clear quality-of-life improvement for players who spend time gathering gems.

    • The Upgraded Gem Bag can now hold up to 100 of each gem type including Jade, Opal, and Red Topaz gems.

  • The Artificers measure has also been updated to have parity with the Gem bag and can be filled with Opal, Jade and Topaz gems as well as noted gems.

Drop Rates

Drop rates have be increased on the following items:

• Dragon Pickaxe

  • The Dragon Pickaxe is an important mid-game upgrade, but its current drop rates make it rarer than we'd like for players at this stage of progression. We want to make the item more accessible while preserving its value and keeping it a rewarding drop to obtain.

    • Chaos Dwarf Dragon Pickaxe drop rate increased from 1/5,000 to 1/3,000.

    • Chaos Giant Dragon Pickaxe drop rate increased from 1/10,000 to 1/1,000.

• Sanguine Crawler & Vampyrism Gloves

  • Vampyrism Gloves don't quite fit the progression slot they're intended to occupy in the mid-game. While we still want them to feel like a valuable reward, the current drop rates can make obtaining them more difficult than intended. 

    • Vampyrism Gloves drop rate increased from 1/500 to 1/200 while on a Slayer task.

    • Vampyrism Gloves drop rate increased from 1/2,000 to 1/1,000 while off-task.

    • Vannaka's weighting to assign Sanguine Crawlers as a Slayer task has been increased to 15.

• Corporeal Beast Sigils

  • Corporeal Beast Sigils occupy an unusual space in the game's progression. Not only are they rarer than we'd like for the power they provide, but the current distribution of sigil drops can also feel inconsistent, with some sigils appearing far more frequently than others.

    • The overall Sigil drop rate has been doubled, increasing from 1/512 kills to 1/256 kills.

    • All Sigil types now have an equal chance of being awarded. When a Sigil drops, each of the four Sigils have a 1-in-4 chance of being received.

• Linza the Disgraced (Barrows)

  • Linza's equipment currently stands out from the rest of the Barrows rewards due to its significantly lower drop rates. This makes completing the set feel disproportionately grindy compared to other Barrows gear, despite filling a similar progression role.

    • The drop rate for Linza's equipment has been doubled, improving from 1/192 to 1/96.

Luck

While working on this project, we took the opportunity to fix several other issues that had arisen.

• Added luck drop chance modifier for Dragon Pickaxe when killing Chaos dwarves and dwogres.

• Added luck drop chance modifier for Unchecked dinosaur eggs.

• Added luck spawn chance modifier for Gout Tuber.

• Off-hand khopesh and Seren symbols drops should now display correct message in chat about obtaining them.

We're excited to hear how you get on with today's changes!