The game has never been known for its graphics. Instead, RuneScape 3’s iconic quests and sense of exploration have allowed the game to become one of the most recognizable MMORPGs of all time. Despite this, years of gradual visual updates has led to the game having an uneven art style. In some cases, models from the late 2000s and early 2010s stand side-by-side with models from the last few years, and it shows.

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Developer Mod Hooli from Jagex broke the Avatar Refresh news to players on a recent development live stream, confirming that it can be officially considered “on the shelf” for the time being. In the video, Mod Hooli cites the scale of the project as the main issue, with every wearable item in the game requiring a visual overhaul as part of the plans. The news of any large-scale update being shelved will sting fans of RuneScape 3, especially with the Old School RuneScape team recently announcing the addition of a new skill. While a future iteration of the update isn’t ruled out in the video, players shouldn’t expect anything for years to come, with active development not currently in progress.

Players have understandably responded negatively to the news, after over two years of excitement. One player made a point in the Reddit thread confirming the news, saying “While scope is huge, do they not understand that it literally is only going to forever get bigger?” RuneScape 3 is constantly adding new cosmetics and armor, which are being created for the current player avatars. There is an understandable concern that the task will eventually become insurmountable, and an avatar update may never see the light of day in any form. Jagex has angered the RuneScape community in the past, and it will be interesting to see if the release of Necromancy will be enough to placate the player base.

It was hoped that the Avatar Refresh would be a landmark update for RuneScape 3, bringing the game back to modern visual standards. Jagex continues to pour resources into the game, with updates designed to bring in new players always at the forefront of development. RuneScape 3’s recent Fresh Start Worlds update is a great example of the work Jagex is doing to keep the game relevant. Despite this, the overall fan feeling is that shelving updates like the Avatar Refresh is a big step backward for the game.

RuneScape 3 is available now on PC, iOS, and Android devices.

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