If you’ve been a gamer for as long as I have, you’ve no doubt at least heard of RuneScape. The game began 25 years ago as a free browser MMORPG, and has since evolved into its own gaming universe. For fans who prefer to keep it classic, Old School RuneScape delivers that retro experience. Though it sticks true to its classic roots, OSRS has evolved in many ways. That includes the introduction of Deadman mode and, more recently, the Deadman All Stars competition. This year, the epic conclusion for Deadman All Stars Season 3 took place in person for the very first time. And I was there.
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Deadman All Stars is an intense PvP competition, OSRS‘s answer to esports. And if you’re thinking, how does an MMORPG do esports, well, so was I. The competition begins with major creators drafting teams, then settling in to build new characters from scratch. After 9 days of claiming the items and experience they need to make those characters competitive, it all culminates in a PvP showdown. On June 20th, OSRS hosted the first-ever live season finale for Deadman All Stars at Chicago’s Rosemont Theater. It was also the first official RuneScape event in the United States. The atmosphere was electric, and it made me finally appreciate why so many people love to watch esports.
RuneScape‘s First Official Venture Across the Pond Was a Roaring Success
Jagex, the company behind RuneScape and iterations like Old School RuneScape and RuneScape: Dragonwilds, is based in the United Kingdom. As such, most official RuneScape events, including the annual RuneFest convention, take place in the U.K. But when they wanted to try something new by taking Deadman All Stars live and in person for its finale, Jagex opted to layer the experimentation. Not only was the Deadman All Stars Season 3 finale the first live event for All Stars, it was Jagex’s first U.S. RuneScape event. And it went incredibly well.
When I first turned the corner from my hotel to see the Rosemont Theater, the line of RuneScape fans was impossible to miss. Though I came well over an hour after the doors first opened, attendees were lined up around the building as far as I could see. But there was no air of impatience, just excitement and a sense of community. People were meeting up with their online gaming friends in person for the first time, so what was a little bit of a wait?
That atmosphere carried over into the lobby, which featured a few exciting photo ops with RuneScape props and banners celebrating the Deadman All Stars teams of the moment. Old School RuneScape t-shirts and elaborate costumes filled the space, as did the overall sense of enthusiasm. Everywhere I turned my attention, I could hear online friends meeting in person for the very first time. I even spotted a few couples introducing their young ones to OSRS IRL, and I would bet good money a few of those pairs originally met in the online game itself.
Although it was my first time attending a major esports event like this in person, I immediately felt at home in the crowd. The vibes were just that good. And that’s all the more impressive given that this was, by far, the largest in-person RuneScape event to date. Before the competition itself began, I could tell this experience was going to be even better than I expected.
I Never Thought Gaming Could Be a Spectator Sport, But Deadman All Stars Proved Me Wrong
I’ll be honest. For me, gaming has never really been a spectator sport. Even in the days before streaming, when watching someone play a game meant sitting in the same room with them, I wasn’t into it. I’d much rather be playing a game myself than watching a friend or creator play it instead. The moment someone boots up a game that looks cool, I’m itching to get the controller (or mouse and keyboard) into my own hands, instead. So while I did my homework and tuned into the streams leading up to the Deadman All Stars finale, I wasn’t sure watching live and in person would really be my cup of tea.
Walking into the packed theater in Chicago, though, was a different story. Jagex really went all out with the setup. The stage featured elaborate PC setups, hidden behind stone walls that made each station a fortress. And as Mod Ash took the stage to open the event, I felt the roars of enthusiasm that highlight just how unique the player and developer relationship for Old School RuneScape really is. Several of the game’s mods showed up in full costume, including our commentators. The whole atmosphere felt like a blend of a major sporting event and a fan convention, in the best way.
Once the competition began, it became clear the crowd had no plans to quiet down. But it was the good kind of loud, cheers and enthusiasm for favorite players on full display. The competition itself featured several rounds of head-to-head team battles, one matchup at a time. It was impossible not to get sucked into the excitement, even for a reluctant esports fan like me.
In fact, I quickly found myself rooting for a specific team and even getting invested in the success of individual players. With the crowd making their opinions known, it was impossible not to. Thankfully, my late-in-the-game enthusiasm for the nostalgically named Dino Nuggets paid off, as the team ultimately took this year’s victory.
While I don’t imagine I’ll make a huge habit of watching esports in the future, I do think OSRS and Solo Mission have found something special with Deadman All Stars. Watching players duke it out on stage live and in person in an MMORPG sounds like a wild idea on paper. But in reality, it works. It works so well, even I became a fan. With any luck, this may have been the first live Old School RuneScape competition, but it won’t be the last.
Did you follow along with the Deadman All Stars Season 3 finale on Twitch? Or were you there in the crowd in Chicago? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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