All Patch NotesGet the Latest Patch Notes and Gaming News

RuneScape – December 2020 Patch Notes | Unleash the Shadow Colossus!

8
RuneScape – December 2020 Patch Notes | Unleash the Shadow Colossus!

Introduction

Introducing Raksha, the Shadow Colossus of Orthen, the latest addition to the world of gaming. Prepare to delve into the rich history of Orthen, uncovering the secrets of the varanusaurs, the downfall of the dragonkin race, and the enigma of shadow anima. Brace yourself for an epic battle as you awaken the ancient terror lurking within the ruins. But beware, adventurers! Raksha is not to be taken lightly. This solo and duo boss falls somewhere between the challenging Araxxor and Telos encounters. Only the most prepared and skilled players will be able to contain Raksha's immense power and reap the bountiful rewards that await. To embark on this thrilling quest, seek out Laniakea in the ruins to the south-east. However, make sure you meet the requirements before venturing forth. Access to Anachronia, a RuneScape membership, and a Combat level of 120 are essential. Additionally, it is highly recommended to equip yourself with at least tier 80 gear to stand a chance against this formidable foe. Should you emerge victorious, a treasure trove of rewards awaits. Tier 80 boots for all combat styles and a mini Raksha companion are just a taste of what you can earn. But that's not all! Raksha also has the potential to drop three powerful abilities, including upgrades to existing actions. First, there's Greater Chain, an enhancement for the Chain ability. Unleash devastating damage on the primary target and two secondary targets within a six square radius. Additionally, 50% of the next Magic hit against the primary target within six seconds will also strike the secondary targets. Skilled Inventors will be thrilled to know that Greater Chain stacks with the Caroming perk, turning them into unstoppable killing machines. Next, we have Greater Ricochet, an upgrade for the Ricochet ability. Similar to Greater Chain, it deals substantial damage to the primary target and two nearby secondary targets. However, for each secondary target it fails to find, the primary target will suffer an additional hit. This ability is perfect for those daring adventurers who prefer to face tough foes alone. Lastly, we introduce Divert, a brand-new ability that requires 48 Defence and an equipped shield. Activate Divert to convert the damage of the next attack dealt to you into adrenaline, allowing you to unleash your next move with lightning speed. Keep in mind that Divert shares a 30-second cooldown with Resonance. Even if luck doesn't favor you immediately, fear not! Raksha offers a plethora of valuable basic drops that make the battle worthwhile. So, gather your courage, sharpen your skills, and prepare to face the Shadow Colossus of Orthen. The gaming world awaits your triumph!

NEW BOSS: RAKSHA, THE SHADOW COLOSSUS OF ORTHEN

You already know some of the history of Orthen. The creation of the varanusaurs, the downfall of the dragonkin race, the secret of shadow anima... now it's time to put it all together, and awaken the ancient terror lurking deep in the ruins. Adventurers who reckon they're able to contain Raksha's immense power will find themselves rolling in rewards, but beware - our latest solo and duo boss sits somewhere between Araxxor and Telos in terms of difficulty, so you'll need to come prepared.

GETTING STARTED

How to Start Speak to Laniakea in the ruins to the south-east to set out on a miniquest that'll lead you right to Raksha's lair. Requirements Access to Anachronia RuneScape membership We also recommend a Combat level of 120, and at least tier 80 gear

REWARDS

If you're tough enough to take on the shadow colossus and survive, you'll find numerous rewards waiting for you - including tier 80 boots for all combat styles and a mini Raksha to call your own. Raksha also has the chance to drop three abilities, two of which are upgrades to existing actions. Greater Chain Greater Chain is an upgrade for the Chain ability. It'll hit the primary target and two secondary targets within a six square radius for 20-100% ability damage. Plus, 50% of the next Magic hit against the primary target within six seconds will also be dealt to both secondary targets. One last thing - Greater Chain also stacks with the Caroming perk, so if you're a skilled Inventor you'll basically be an unstoppable killing machine. Enjoy! Greater Ricochet Greater Ricochet is an upgrade for the Ricochet ability. Just like Greater Chain, it'll hit your primary target and two nearby secondary targets for 20-100% ability damage, and it stacks with the Caroming perk. Here's the big difference: for each secondary target the ability doesn't find, your primary target will take an additional hit for 10-50% ability damage. So if you're taking on a tough beastie on its lonesome, this is the ability you'll want to bring along. Divert Divert is a brand-new ability that requires 48 Defence and an equipped shield to use. When active, the next attack dealt to you within six seconds will convert the damage you would have taken to adrenaline, letting you wind up your next move that much faster. Divert has a 30 second cooldown which it shares with Resonance. Even if you don't luck out right away, Raksha has loads of great basic drops - so he's well worth taking on, if you've got the skill.

TITLE DIVERSITY

Titles that had a unique option based on your character's gender can now be used regardless of which character model you're currently using. To change your title to one of these new, exciting options, head to the Title screen under the Customisations interface.

RUNESCAPE MERCH

Still stuck for ideas this Christmas? We've got some new additions in the store for you to think about, with free shipping as well as free mystery keyring offers! First up there's a kickass Dragon Mail tee. It's subtle, but undeniably RuneScapey - so it's perfect for sneaking into Christmas card photos.

VIOLET IS BLUE TOO

Last time you met Violet, you helped her find the way to Yeti Town and make some new friends. Now everyone's favourite ragamuffin is back, and she needs your help once again! It's almost Christmas, and Yeti Town should be festooned with tinsel, lights, and baubles - but the whole place has remained dismally undecorated! It's up to you to help Violet get to the bottom of this merry mystery and save the day. And if you're too busy delivering presents and scoffing mince pies this holiday season, no worries - like the first quest in the series, Violet is Blue Too will be available to play all year, every year from now on.

HOW TO START

To start Violet is Blue Too, you’ll need to have completed Violet is Blue. There are no other requirements. Speak to Postie Pete outside the portal on White Wolf Mountain to begin the quest.

YAK TRACK: THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... apart from those bloody great yaks tracking all over the place! Yes, there's a new Yak Track for the festive season, and it's running from December 14th to January 24th. New here? No worries: to get yak tracking, head to Burthorpe and have a word with Robin, the Reindeer Yak. He'll set you up with a list of tasks to complete, which range from the silly to the skilful. There are two tasks to choose from at each tier, so you choose whichever suits your playstyle best. For each task you check off the list you'll receive a festive reward! Speaking of rewards, for completing your very first task you'll get the Permafrost Knight outfit, a super-cool suit of armour that'll let you give Gielinor's toughest baddies a frosty reception. Carry on along the track and you'll get weapons to match, along with Robin the Reindeer Yak in pet form, a Chimney Teleport and much more. Treat yourself to a Premier Pass for just 2 Bonds and you'll unlock even more cosmetics, boosts, pets and animations: including the Tundral Stalker outfit and Snowflake, the winter fairy pet at Tier 50.
Click and drag to rotate the model! Additionally you can scroll to zoom!
Don't forget - if you've joined the Premier Club, you'll have free access to the Premium Track, and you'll get a cheeky bonus Task Skip for any that aren't to your liking. This time around, you'll be asked to complete a special holiday task: the present hunt! It seems that yaks aren't very good sleigh animals, and somehow Robin's lost some of the presents he was supposed to deliver. Thankfully, he's got a set of Magical Jingle Bells that will help you detect the presents he's lost - just give them a shake and they'll let you know how close you are to the nearest lost present. Easy peasy! Lastly, our developer elves have received your wishlists and have been busy making a whole bunch of Quality of Life changes to the Yak Track. For more information, have a look at the Patch Notes!

NINJA STRIKE 16: DIANGO

You can find Diango in Draynor Market, tirelessly handing out rewards from holiday events past - but this year, he's the one getting the gifts! The Ninja Team has paid him a visit and spruced up his UI. Plus, while they were in the area, they paid a little visit to Death's Office and arranged for him to award a new title...

DIANGO IMPROVEMENTS

First off, Diango's messaging has been improved in order to clear up any confusion players may have had about the whereabouts of items they already own. In addition, his UI has been given a bit of polish on both mobile and desktop, with bigger icons and a more accessible Search Bar. Speaking of Search Bars, the one in the Bank will now display items you've got stored with Diango, provided you can withdraw them to your Backpack. There's also a new keybind which will activate the search while in Diango's interface; the key is 'S' in English and German, 'B' in Portuguese and 'R' in French.

GOLDEN REAPER

The Ninjas teamed up with Mods Ryan and Iago, and Death is now ready to award boss loot collectors who go the extra mile with a shiny new title. Completing all boss collection logs will now earn you a prestigious golden variant of 'the Reaper' title. Nice!

QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES

In addition, the Ninjas have swept through the following small updates:
  • A new log in message tells players when their Invention machines have completed processing inputs or run out of charges.
  • Auto Disassembler machines will now display the correct processing time when disassembling batches of items.
  • The 'Deposit all' options for the Deep Sea Fishing Hub and the Menaphos VIP and Port Banks and Deposit Boxes have been consolidated into a single option.

RS@20

Upon logging in after this update, you'll receive a mysterious invitation. An invitation to what, you ask? Why, to RuneScape's 20th Anniversary Party! That's right, we've had this show on the road for 20 whole years. From the good old days of baking cakes for the Duke of Lumbridge, to facing the Elder Gods themselves, you've stuck with us through thick and thin - and since we couldn't do any of this without the support of our wonderful community, it's only fair that we invite you along to our Grand Party! Once the event begins, you can use your invitation to teleport straight to the party. Show your invitation to the host and you'll get a special reward - and of course, if you've lost your invite between now and then, they'll be able to give you a spare, too. So don't be alarmed by that unusual envelope in your Backpack - just hold onto it, and look forward to some official party business in the new year!

PRIME GAMING

From tomorrow, December 15th, you can claim new goodies from our friends at Prime Gaming! This time, we're offering two Umbral Chests and a Yak Track Care Package, which contains an assortment of useful items that'll help you along the Yak Track.

PREMIER CLUB

If you're part of the Premier Club, you can look forward to a new monthly drop on January 1st! This time, you'll get:
  • A Variety Pack filled with useful stuff
  • Two Pulse Cores
  • 1,000 Oddments
Feeling jealous? There's still time for you to pick up a Premier Club package and get access to monthly drops like this one for the duration - and don't forget, you'll save a bundle on membership at the same time. A Look Back At This Year As we close out 2020, I have some really, really great news to share. The game and community we all love is in a significant state of growth. This year, the number of daily players and active members has peaked at the highest levels we've seen in over five years. The member population is growing, thanks to a continual stream of returning players and brand new adventurers. And best of all, the new players that are joining RuneScape are sticking around more than ever and giving us great, positive feedback. This is an amazing thing for a game heading into its 20th year, and is testament to how we've all banded together to welcome new faces from far and wide. I am really proud of what the team delivered and achieved under difficult conditions this year, and for launching on a brand new platform like Steam. When I think of the incredible quality bar we hit with the release of Archaeology, the switch to a monthly release schedule that featured quests, skilling content, DnDs, combat content, the community focused Ninja Strikes and continual improvement of our time limited events... it blows me away. Our team delivers over 50 weekly releases a year and run an incredibly stable game operation. They adapted, executed to plan and honored their commitments to a new monthly schedule. We found new ways to build awareness for the game and community we love, and stepped up our engagement and support. There's always things to improve or learn from, but I believe it's been a really great year for RuneScape. I hope you feel the same way. Then there is you, the citizens of Gielinor, who continue to bring the world to life and light up the internet with your tales, feedback and creations. There were so many highlights this year, but my favourite is how you turned out for the Steam launch. The passion for the game you poured into thousands of reviews (94% positive in the last 30 days!), the incredible content you showcased in the Community Hub and the way you offered help to new players in-game said so much about this passionate community that we are lucky to have. I have no doubt your efforts and spirit have played a huge part in players joining - and staying - in RuneScape over 2020. Thank you. Speaking of community togetherness - no better way was that shown than with our friends at Old School RuneScape during the global Play Apart Together initiative earlier this year. This was designed to help those struggling to adapt to a changing world through socialising whilst playing games (like RuneScape!). Thanks to your help getting involved with The Drop (and loads of other events), we were able to donate over £100,000 to our mental health charity partners You Are RAD, The Prince's Trust, and CPSL Mind. Combine that with our Gielinorian Giving events for Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day this year, together we've been able to donate over £330,000 to this increasingly-important mental health support network for vulnerable people across the globe - as well as a cool £26,000 for our friends at Special Effect for their One Special Day event earlier this year! As a company, we've been able to donate more than ever before - and at a time when our charity partners needed it the most, with reduced access to funding during lockdown and a corresponding increase in demand on mental health support. Give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back - it's the season of giving, after all.

Looking Forward

But now, to the future. I have a few updates I want to share that I hope will whet your appetite over the holiday break. As we go into 2021, we will build on this significant momentum and stack our efforts to grow RuneScape, all while delivering even more awesome updates into your hands. Firstly, we're substantially growing the RuneScape Team over the coming months to up our capabilities and continue delivering a fantastic mix of monthly headline content drops, great holiday events, Yak Tracks and bi-monthly Ninja Strikes. The impact of this team growth is going to be most evident in how we approach Elder God Wars. Instead of just one moment to experience EGW content, we've found several ways for it to be a dominant story arc throughout the year. This will stretch across a variety of content types, including the release of the Dungeon itself. This is an epic war years in the making and it will all come to a head next year! We'll also continue on our mission to modernise RuneScape, including a project that I'm particularly excited about – improving your player avatar! Over the next year, we will start a journey to deliver an evolving series of improvements to how the World Guardian is represented in-game. This is a very complex project with many steps, and we'll be involving you regularly throughout development as we work to get the look of the avatar just right. You can expect to hear more early next year... but as it's Christmas, here's a very sneaky look at our visual target for the new quality bar we want to set. Growing RuneScape continues to be a major goal for us, and next year we'll bring in even more new players and become a true cross-platform MMO with the launch of RuneScape Mobile. Our team have been hard at work working on improvements to the early game experience, onboarding and the optimisation of our UI that will enable us to provide a great experience to all our new mobile adventurers! And of course, last but by no means least, the headline for 2021 is undeniably RuneScape's massive 20th Anniversary! This incredible milestone is a huge testament to the strength of the world we all love, and we're going all in on celebrations. The party will start on January 4th (RuneScape's actual birthday!) as part of a month-long event, with even more Anniversary content to sink your teeth into coming throughout the year. All will be revealed next month, starting with those invitations you received last week. There will be many more surprises to come, but you know me... I keep these cards close until it is the right time to share!

See You In 2021!

And with that, it's time I sign off for the last time this year. We can't wait to celebrate across Gielinor with you this January and kick start what I'm sure will be an even better year in 2021. On behalf of the entire RuneScape team, we wish you all the best this Christmas and Holiday in whatever way you can celebrate it. Just make sure you keep hold of those party hats - you never know when they may be worth something! We'll see each other again very soon.

Responses (0 )



















Keep scrolling for more news

Below, you'll find a variety of titles that you may be interested in from news category