8 RuneScape 3 quests that should return in Old School RuneScape
When Old School RuneScape launched back in 2013, the RS community was forever divided. Players picked between a more modern title in RuneScape 3 and a nostalgia-fueled experience with OSRS. Over a decade later, both games retain active player bases, although the debate rages on about which of the two is better.
These games took very separate paths, including diverging questlines. Some quests were exclusive to RuneScape 3, while others were made just for OSRS. Over the years, Old School RuneScape has looked to RS3 for inspiration several times, occasionally bringing over quests still worth doing.
The most recent example is ‘While Guthix Sleeps’, which debuted in Old School RuneScape in July 2024, 16 years after its RS3 release. But which quests remain in the newer RS that should still make the jump to Old School RuneScape?
One Piercing Note
- Original Release: November 2011
- Questline: None
One Piercing Note is arguably RuneScape 3‘s greatest murder mystery, a standalone quest with an engaging plot Agatha Christie would be proud of; it’s also notable for being the first quest in the game to be fully voiced. It’s unlikely this design decision would carry over to an Old School RuneScape version of One Piercing Note, but the quest itself would be a fun addition. The quest reward (the ability to make illuminated god books) would also be a great way to make god books more viable in OSRS.
A Fairy Tale III – Battle At Ork’s Rift
- Original Release: May 2010
- Questline: Fairy
In Old School RuneScape, the Fairy questline ends with A Fairytale II – Cure a Queen. We need a proper conclusion, and RuneScape 3 already provides this with A Fairy Tale III – Battle At Ork’s Rift. Although it’s not the most challenging quest in the game, it at least provides some semblance of closure as you fight to save Zararis from the Fairy Godfather. Sure, OSRS already gives one of this quest’s best rewards in the Lumbridge and Draynor Elite Achievement Diary, but that doesn’t mean the story itself shouldn’t be resolved.
The Needle Skips
- Original Release: November 2018
- Questline: The Elder God Wars
The Needle Skips is a gift for players who love story-heavy RuneScape 3 quests. This particular quest is part of The Elder God Wars questline, which doesn’t exist in Old School RuneScape yet. It’s a shame, given it brings some of the series’ best-ever lore to the game. The Needle Skips requires your full attention, as you must work to unravel the story through a series of clues. There’s nothing quite like it in OSRS, which is why it should make the jump between games.
Love Story
- Original Release: July 2010
- Questline: Wise Old Man
Love Story is a sequel to Swan Song, a fan-favorite quest in both RuneScape 3 and OSRS. It tells more of the Wise Old Man’s story, the NPC known best for committing the infamous Draynor Bank Robbery. This character has always been a curious mystery to players, so finally seeing him fleshed out in Love Story is excellent. Old School RuneScape players are missing out on something great here, through no fault of their own.
Hunt For Red Raktuber
- Original Release: June 2009
- Questline: Penguin
Hunt For Red Raktuber is the second quest in RuneScape 3‘s four-part Penguin questline, of which OSRS still just has the first (Cold War). This quest is all about attempting to infiltrate a penguin submarine. If that concept doesn’t sell you on bringing it back in Old School RuneScape, then I don’t know what will. Give us the full Penguin questline, Jagex! We don’t care that it has been 15 years at this point.
Gower Quest
- Original Release: June 2016
- Questline: None
Gower Quest brought RuneScape creators and siblings Andrew and Paul Gower back into the fold to write one last quest for the game. It’s the swan song of two legends, so it’s sad to see Old School RuneScape players miss out on Gower Quest. I wouldn’t even say it’s the best-written quest in the game, nor is it the most fun. But it’s an essential piece of RuneScape history that all fans should be able to experience.
Ritual of the Mahjarrat
- Original Release: September 2011
- Questline: Mahjarrat Mysteries
Ritual of the Mahjarrat is a Grandmaster quest, making it one of RuneScape 3‘s biggest challenges. It’s also part of the Mahjarrat Mysteries questline, which is one of the longest-running in all of RS3. Interestingly, Jagex has actually continued this questline in Old School RuneScape with the July 2024 release of While Guthix Sleeps, making Ritual of the Mahjarrat next in line. This is one we expect to happen in the future.
Nomad’s Requiem
- Original Release: January 2010
- Questline: None
The argument against Nomad’s Requiem in Old School RuneScape is usually that Nomad already exists in the game. He’s an NPC who kind of just… sits at Soul Wars. Cool – an OSRS minigame that very few people play. Nomad is a fantastic villain in the RuneScape 3 version of this quest, providing one of the most brutal PvE encounters in any quest. Given how good the Old School RuneScape developers are at creating engaging yet challenging boss fights, they could do something incredible with Nomad in this quest.
