Is it worth upgrading to a Jagex account if you’re an avid player of OSRS?
Old School RuneScape is an amazingly captivating MMO. Still, over a decade of its existence, players across the globe have complained about facing hijacked accounts, being locked out of their accounts, having their OSRS gold stolen, and even seeing their accounts listed for sale. The whole community has been pleading with Jagex to bring more reliable security measures that would drastically decrease the occurrence rates of such unfortunate cases because, as you can probably imagine, pouring hundreds of hours of playtime in a game and having the possibility to just lose that overnight due to security reasons can be a real deal breaker for many.
But rest assured, Jagex has been working on bringing changes regarding account security and accessibility for over a year. They have blacklisted most third-party clients, delivered a shiny new launcher, and brought the Jagex accounts to their RS3 and OSRS players, which can be used for both games.
Benefits
Jagex Accounts offer a suite of benefits tailored to elevate your gaming experience and fortify account security. At the forefront, you can consolidate your gameplay by importing up to 20 characters under a single login, streamlining your in-game presence, and ensuring every character gets noticed, even if they've been forgotten over time.
In addition, the platform ensures you're always informed with email notifications regarding account activity. The process is enhanced and includes providing backup codes if you ever face recovery needs. Plus, with the 'Remembered Sessions' feature, your login convenience is optimized, ensuring a seamless gaming session every time.
Multiple Characters, One Login
A Jagex Account isn’t just a simple login—it's a gateway to a more unified and enhanced gaming experience. One of its most noteworthy features is the capacity to integrate up to 20 characters under one cohesive login. This is especially beneficial for veteran players or those who juggle multiple characters, as it streamlines the management of various in-game characters. Even if you've unintentionally neglected some characters, the system offers an intuitive method to easily rediscover and import them, ensuring that every bit of your gameplay history is preserved.
If you’re a mobile player, upgrading to a Jagex account will make it somewhat harder for you to swap between accounts, and there’s no estimate from Jagex’s part that they’re even working on improving this.
Security
Safety is paramount in the digital realm, and Jagex understands this by integrating state-of-the-art security measures into its accounts. By enforcing stringent password protocols, the platform ensures that every user's password isn’t just a combination of characters but a formidable line of defense. Coupled with the system's innate protection against brute-force attacks, hackers are deterred, and accounts remain in the rightful hands. Mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security, acting as a double lock to keep unauthorized users out.
Backup Codes
In the unforeseen event where account recovery becomes necessary, the process has been designed to be user-centric. With an improved recovery mechanism, you can regain control of your account efficiently. Including backup codes provide added reassurance, offering an alternative way to access one’s account if primary recovery options fail, and you can generate new backup codes in case you need them.
Beta
Several months into the Beta, over 150,000 Jagex Accounts have been created with more than 290,000 RuneScape and Old School characters linked. Jagex extends its gratitude for the community's trust in the new system. Feedback from the survey, featured in prior Jagex news posts and Gielinor Gazette, indicates that over 90% of participants are familiar with Jagex Accounts, and 82% hold a positive or neutral view. However, concerns preventing upgrades include fears of account lockouts, account sharing issues, and negative sentiments on social media. Interestingly, 78% would consider upgrading if these concerns were addressed.
Feedback
For those who upgraded to Jagex Accounts, 84% reported a positive experience, while 7% had a negative one. The primary reasons players upgraded included enhanced account security, support for multiple characters, and the convenience of remembered sessions. Impressively, 90% of those who upgraded would endorse the upgrade to friends, and an additional 8% would do so once certain issues are rectified. Even as the system is in Open Beta, it's evident that Jagex Accounts are meeting player expectations.
Updates
Following extensive feedback on Jagex Accounts, several updates and clarifications have been provided. The Beta's irreversibility is a deliberate choice, ensuring the security of accounts. The character import capacity has been expanded from 10 to 20, with potential future expansions contingent on users’ needs. You can expect HDOS compatibility with the Jagex Launcher soon, and a new feature is in the pipeline for re-ordering characters for convenience. While the team investigates mobile character-switching improvements, they caution against account sharing, citing significant security risks. If there are concerns about compromised accounts, Jagex's enhanced security features are designed to address them.
There's an ongoing exploration around the concept of Character Archiving, and the Jagex Launcher will soon support the simultaneous play of multiple characters and post-upgrade access to RuneLite. Future additions include the C++ Client. As for Linux support, it's currently under review. Admin access on the Jagex Launcher is necessary for optimal security, and Jagex does not want to change this even though it was criticized by many.
If you value the security of your account, you should upgrade to a Jagex account and have the peace of mind that your progress will not likely be sabotaged because of poor security.
