RuneScape finally gets its own Leagues — CATALYST turns Gielinor into a speedrun

RuneScape’s first League is here-and it’s a smart, sweaty sprint

This caught my attention because Old School RuneScape’s Leagues are some of the most fun seasonal grinds in MMOs-pure progression candy with just enough chaos to feel fresh. Now the mainline RuneScape (RS3) is finally getting its own spin with CATALYST, a limited-time, members-only mode running September 15 to November 10. It’s a fresh start, supercharged XP, a huge task list, and build-defining Relics. In other words: RuneScape as a speedrun.

Key takeaways

• Accelerated progression and boosted XP let you sample late-game RS3 content fast-ideal for lapsed players and the curious.
• Tasks feed League Points, which unlock Relics that meaningfully alter your build; some are brand new to RuneScape.
• Leaderboard grinders can chase the Dragon Trophy; everyone gets a decorated Leagues Trophy for taking part.
• A time-limited membership offer covers the whole event for $21.99 / £15.99 / €19.99 (Sep 15-21).

Breaking down the announcement

CATALYST is a separate, time-boxed mode inside RuneScape for members. You start fresh, blast through progression with “explosive” XP rates, and complete a curated list of tasks—everything from bonking a lone goblin to wiping out demon hordes. Tasks award League Points, which you spend on Relics. These aren’t minor perks; they’re the kind of modifiers that change how you approach skilling and combat.

Jagex is adding entirely new Relics like Farming Frenzy and Golden Footed alongside fan-favorites inspired by Old School’s Leagues. The mix suggests skilling boosts and traversal perks at a minimum, with the potential for wild synergies if RS3’s broader skill set (Divination, Archaeology, Invention) gets bespoke treatment. Points you earn translate to rewards back in the main game when the League ends, so your sprint has long-term bragging rights.

There’s a HiScore race with a rare Dragon Trophy on the line for the top performers, and a decorated Leagues Trophy for everyone who participates. The event runs until November 10, and to grease the wheels Jagex is offering a special membership that lasts the entire League for $21.99 / £15.99 / €19.99 if you buy between September 15-21. RuneScape runs on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android with cross-progression, so you can chase tasks on your phone and polish bosses at your desk.

Why this matters now

Old School’s Leagues routinely spike engagement because they strip the MMO bloat and hand you momentum. RS3 has long been the “systems-on-systems” version of RuneScape—deep, flexible, sometimes overwhelming. Bringing a seasonal mode to modern RuneScape is a smart bridge for lapsed players who bounced off the grind or never clicked with the current meta. It’s also a way to showcase RS3’s endgame without asking for months of commitment.

Industry-wide, seasonal sprints are the norm now—Diablo, Path of Exile, even World of Warcraft’s Remix. What makes RuneScape’s take interesting is the Relic layer. In Old School, builds like resource-doubling gatherers or movement-speed demons completely rewired routes. If CATALYST gives RS3 versions of that, expect weird, creative min-maxing that you simply don’t see in the live game.

The gamer’s perspective: who should jump in?

If you left RS3 years ago, CATALYST is the cleanest re-entry point you’ll get. The accelerated XP means you can test drive combat styles, try newer skills, and see late-game bosses without slogging through old bottlenecks. New to RuneScape entirely? This is a highlight reel of what the game can do—just remember it’s tuned for speed, not the usual pace.

For maxed mains, the appeal is twofold: leaderboard glory and the puzzle of Relic synergies. Seasonal metas are a different kind of mastery; you’ll be theorycrafting routes and swapping priorities constantly. And if you primarily play on mobile, the cross-progression is a quiet killer feature—the task structure is perfect for short sessions, while boosted XP keeps every check-in rewarding.

Questions and caveats

Some healthy skepticism is warranted. How aggressively will Relics break RS3’s balance, and will early picks lock you into suboptimal paths? Are League Points and main-game rewards purely cosmetic, or are there power-adjacent unlocks that risk FOMO pressure? Jagex says “epic rewards” and a trophy cabinet, but clarity matters when players plan their time.

On the competitive side, leaderboard integrity will be a hot topic. Seasonal modes shine when the playing field feels fair; they wilt under exploits and botting. The clock is also ticking—eight weeks sounds like a lot, but true completionists will feel the squeeze. The membership offer is at least consumer-friendly: $21.99 for the whole window is cheaper than two separate months at standard rates, but if you only want a week of sprinting, you’ll need to weigh the value.

Finally, there’s the bigger-picture question: will Leagues become a recurring RS3 pillar like they are in Old School? If CATALYST lands, expect seasonal cadence to join RuneScape’s content diet—which, frankly, could be a win if it keeps experimentation partitioned from the live economy.

TL;DR

CATALYST turns RuneScape into a fast, Relic-fueled sprint from Sep 15-Nov 10, with tasks, massive XP, and trophies to chase. It’s the best excuse in years to revisit RS3, but keep an eye on reward clarity and balance while you speed through Gielinor.