For the first time since it’s launch in 2013, Old School RuneScape will receive a new skill. The iconic MMORPG has been operating two separate games (not counting the board game and TTRPG) for more than a decade: RuneScape 3, the uninterrupted evolution of the game since its incarnation in 2001; and Old School RuneScape, a version of the game mirroring its 2007 state, but evolving in its own way since its introduction.

An official RuneScape announcement has now set a date for OSRS‘s momentous update: on November 19, 2025, Sailing will become the first new skill ever added to the game. The announcement says, “It’s a historic moment for the team and, of course, our wonderful community.” The introduction of Sailing will mark a major shift for the classic MMO, bringing ship-building, crew recruitment, naval combat, salvaging, sea charting, trawling, new quests, and more.

Sailing Will Become OSRS’s First New Skill Ever On November 19

Take To The High Seas

While OSRS is conceptually a version of the game frozen in 2007, it has become an independently evolving version of RuneScape, with Sailing arguably its biggest update yet. Old School RuneScape often relies on community polls to dictate the direction of its updates, and a new skill has been a long time coming. Bringing a new skill to OSRS has required “three years of design, discussion, and community collaboration.”

The OSRS development team understands the weight of a new skill coming to the game after so long, referring to Sailing as their “project of projects.” Players will be able to “own and upgrade your very own boat and as you hone your skill, you’ll reach previously uncharted areas.” Information on these new areas are so far limited, but the announcement has teased that “there are over 30 new islands being added with the launch of Sailing, some of which come with new dungeons.”

Old School RuneScape’s Sailing Update Will Be Transformative

Three Years In The Making

Three years to implement one new skill seems odd at first, but the lengthy announcement of Sailing clearly shows that it’s not simply tacked on – Sailing will potentially transform the OSRS experience. The new islands included will provide new ways to train skills, new resources to harvest, unique items (including special cannonball types coming later), and more.

A main questline coming with Sailing introduces a whole new race of characters, the Tortugans, and their story will not be complete with the update on November 19. Sailing is set to evolve even further in 2026 with new Tortugan quests, alongside new tasks, bosses at sea, a player-designed island, and further expansions to the newly introduced sea.

Further ideas thrown around – ship PvP, colossal ships, and a sailing guild, among others – show that the OSRS team has put a lot of thought into how the game will continue to change following Sailing’s implementation. A lot of new content is coming in just under a month, so any beginners interested in OSRS might want to get their bearings before Sailing arrives on November 19. Old School RuneScape will receive its first new skill in the game’s history, and it appears to be a watershed moment for the classic MMO.