Old School RuneScape — Blood Moon Rises Out Now! | June 30th release notes

The Blood Moon rises today, bringing the long-awaited finale of the Myreque saga to Old School!

For the latest on all current known issues & fixes, head here.

A quick note for RuneLite users:

The Blood Moon Rises makes heavy use of visual layering and depth effects, particularly throughout Vampyrium.
For the best experience, we recommend using the standard GPU plugin. Players using the Legacy GPU plugin may encounter visual issues, so we’d recommend switching over before stepping beyond the veil!

Changelog - June 30th

The Blood Moon Rises

The Blood Moon Rises Grandmaster quest launches at 10:00 UTC today! Head over to the Icyene Graveyard and speak to Sarius Guile to begin.
Added a new region, Vampyrium, available after completion of The Blood Moon Rises quest, which includes:
A new Hunter activity - Stymphikes
A new Woodcutting activity - Bloodwood trees
These trees provide Sap, which can be used to create Seeker arrows - an ammunition upgrade that can be applied to existing arrows.
A new Fishing activity - Leechfin Fishing
A new Slayer creature - Venators
A new Solo boss encounter - the Maggot King
Brand new rewards are available from the Maggot King boss, including:
The Elder venator fang - used to make the new BiS ranged amulet - the Necklace of Rupture
The Crimson kisten - a BiS Crush Special Attack weapon

PvP Rota

The PvP rota has moved to Period A:

539 - (US) - PvP World
318 - (UK) - Bounty Hunter World
548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World
577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World
559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive

World 390 (AUS) for LMS Competitive has been activated with this rota.

World 569 (AUS) for Bounty Hunter has been activated with this rota.

The PvP Arena is using 'Zerker' loadouts in Ranked Duels and Tournaments this week.

The Blood Moon Rises

For years, Morytania has endured in the shadow of Lord Lowerniel Drakan. The Myreque have fought, bled, and fallen in the darkness, holding back an evil unlike any other.

Thank you to incredible illustrator (https://x.com/enkoro_art) for this stunning artwork. Available to download for your desktop wallpaper _(https://osrs.game/Blood-Moon-Desktop?_gl=1*1h2pih*_gcl_au*MTMyMTczNjk3Ny4xNzgxMDAxNTcz)!

Want to catch up on where the story left off? We've partnered with creators (https://www.youtube.com/@poisonedpotion/videos), (https://x.com/enkoro_art) and (https://x.com/theskulled) to bring you this epic lore video!

Now, Drakan has returned to Vampyrium, the ancestral homeland of the vampyres. To step through is to leave the world you knew behind...

The Quest: Getting Started

The Blood Moon Rises is Old School’s newest Grandmaster quest and marks the final chapter of the Myreque saga. Before you get started, you'll need to ensure you've unlocked the following:

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-05-29/654647gh1.png)!

To begin the quest, head over to the Icyene Graveyard (accessed via the boat in either south Burgh de Rott, (https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Meiyerditch) or (https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Slepe)) and speak to Sarius Guile.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/map.jpg)!

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/startbmrs.jpg)!

Rally what remains of the resistance, follow Drakan into the darkness of Vampyrium, and decide the fate of Morytania once and for all!

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/startbmr.jpg)!

Before You Start

When it comes to questing in Old School, you've always been free to take them on however you prefer. If you'd rather hold down that space bar and get it done as fast as possible, fair enough. We'll judge you a little bit, but we won't stop you. That said, if you're the kind of person who really wants to immerse themselves in this epic conclusion to the Myreque story, we have a few recommended settings for you that we think will help you get the most enjoyment out of things:

Master Volume - 100%
Music Volume - 20% or more
Sound Effects Volume - 45% or more
Area Sounds Volume - 25% or more
Music Mode - Area
View Distance - 50 or more

A quick note for RuneLite users:

The Blood Moon Rises makes heavy use of visual layering and depth effects, particularly throughout Vampyrium.
For the best experience, we recommend using the standard GPU plugin. Players using the Legacy GPU plugin may encounter visual issues, so we’d recommend switching over before stepping beyond the veil!

Vampyrium: Before You Enter

At some point during your adventure, you'll find yourself travelling to the hostile land of Vampyrium.

The intended experience is to complete your Quest journey through Vampyrium without interruption, so there are a few things to keep in mind before you step beyond the veil:

If you die in Vampyrium, you’ll respawn there with all your items, but these deaths are not safe, so Hardcore status will be lost.
Everything you need to survive can be found within Vampyrium, including consumable supplies.
Bank withdrawals aren't available, but depositing is.
It’s still worth preparing before you leave, but grit, perseverance, and careful play will matter more than good gear.
You can teleport out of Vampyrium at any time, and if you leave, the story will continue right from where you left off.

Once you've completed the quest, You'll earn the following rewards:

[expand type=details expanded=false]

A new Spec Weapon
An Upgraded Flail (obtained during the quest)
Six XP tomes, each granting 30K XP to a skill of your choice, level 70 or above.
4 Quest Points
You'll also be able to return to Vampyrium and engage in its unique skilling activities

And finally, a little reminder for all.

The Blood Moon Rises is expected to be challenging. We've really tried to do something different here, and while we're not expecting this to be a huge difficulty jump over existing Grandmaster quests, difficulty can often be subjective.

You will ultimately face formidable combat challenges where perseverance will be the key to victory. For many of you attempting this on release, it may well feel like a step up from Desert Treasure II, especially in your initial attempts while you learn the new mechanics.

We'd like to see how you fare in this epic conclusion before rushing to make changes, but rest assured, we'll be closely monitoring your feedback and will make changes where necessary.

A Personal Note From Mod Ed

“So much of the media we enjoy today has been created in the hopes that it will continue on forever. With us celebrating 25 years, the RuneScape franchise itself is quite possibly one of the finest examples of that. And yet, there's very much a downside to this. The work is never done, and it's so rare now to experience a true ending. This is why it's so important to us that The Blood Moon Rises be just that. While there will always be more stories to tell in the land of Morytania, today marks the definitive end of the Myreque storyline.

Old School is a game where you are always free to enjoy it as you desire. That will never change. If questing isn't for you and you simply wish to get this out of the way as fast as possible, that's something we'll always respect. That said, before you dive in, consider this: While it's true that there's nothing like going back and re-watching your favourite film or re-reading your favourite book, the truth is that it will never hit like it did the first time you experienced it. And so, when you come to play this quest, even if it's not your usual play style, consider slowing things down, turning up your music, and immersing yourself in a finale over 20 years in the making. If it turns out to not be for you, that's no problem, but if you don't give it a chance, you may well find yourself missing out, for you will only ever get one opportunity to experience this quest for the first time.

With all that said, however you choose to experience The Blood Moon Rises and the land of Vampyrium, it has been the highest honour for myself and the team to finally bring this story to a close. We hope you enjoy it.”

Vampyrium Skilling

Watch Mod Ed's Vampyrium adventure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQf-GHCYLE)!

Vampyrium’s horrors do not fade when the story ends. This blood-soaked realm is home to strange flora, hostile fauna, and several new post-quest skilling activities for those brave enough to return after the quest concludes. We’ve covered Vampyrium’s skilling activities in more detail in our dedicated (https://secure.runescape.com/m=news/the-blood-moon-rises---overview-?oldschool=1) and Leechfin Fishing blogs, so head there for the full breakdown. For now, here’s a summary of what you can expect when you step beyond the veil...

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/sangatac.gif)!

Stymphike Hunter

Circling high above Vampyrium’s twisted canopy are the Stymphikes: vicious predatory birds that descend only when the conditions are right.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/stymphikeidle.gif)!

This Hunter method plays out across two connected stages. First, you’ll need to gather bait in the form of Letvek, which can be found roaming Vampyrium and captured using box traps. This first stage requires 76 Hunter and is the more active part of the hunt, giving you a way to build up your bait supply before turning your eyes to the skies.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-05-29/letvik654.gif)!

Once you have Letvek in hand, you can begin hunting Stymphikes. This second stage requires 82 Hunter, along with a supply of Letvek and a nearby makeshift spear that's sharp enough to bring a Stymphike down. To begin, bait a Stymphike tree with a Letvek, then hide in a nearby bush and wait. While hidden, you’ll receive small amounts of Hunter XP as you keep watch from cover. After a short time, a Stymphike will descend to investigate the bait.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/stymphikehide.gif)!

Once the Stymphike lands, you can spear it yourself for a larger chunk of Hunter XP, or, if you’d rather take a more relaxed approach, remain hidden and let your character make the attempt automatically after a short delay.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/stymphike_land.gif)!

For main accounts, Letvek can also be purchased from the Grand Exchange, letting you skip straight to the Stymphike-luring stage if you’d rather focus on the steadier, lower-attention part of the activity.

Leechfin Fishing

Beneath Vampyrium’s crimson waters, the Leechfin gather, perfectly adapted to a bloody realm where even the rivers run red.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/leechfin.gif)!

Leechfin Fishing requires 72 Fishing and offers a more active way to train the skill without relying on tick manipulation. From the outset, you can choose whether to focus on stronger Fishing XP, or trade some of that XP for a steadier supply of Blood vials. This activity uses a Big net and plays similarly to the Fishing activity found in the Perilous Moons. Once you begin, Leechfin will swim downstream in waves. You’ll need to align your net with the incoming fish, reacting to their movement as they pass through the river.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/leechfincatch.gif)!

If you’re focused purely on Fishing XP, you can keep catching Leechfin and continue the activity for stronger rates. Leechfin themselves are untradeable, cannot be cooked, eaten, or stored in a Fish barrel, so you’ll want to manage your inventory as you fish. Alternatively, you can cut Leechfin with a knife to gather Blood sacs, earning a small amount of Cooking XP in the process. Blood sacks are untradeable but can be squeezed into empty vials to create Blood vials, and you’ll need 50 Blood sacs to fill one vial. The Leechfin will be coming in pretty thick and fast, so while 50 might sound like a lot, it shouldn't take too long to stack up!

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/Sacs.jpg)!

This gives the activity two clear paths:

Stay focused on catching fish and dropping for better Fishing XP
Spend time cutting Leechfin for Blood sacs and Vials of blood at the cost of lower XP.

If you step away for too long, the activity will end automatically, so keep your eyes on the river. Vampyrium’s waters are generous, but they’re not patient...

Bloodwood Woodcutting

Amid Vampyrium’s crimson forests stand the Bloodwood trees, their bark split with a potent red sap that seeps beneath the realm’s eternal night.

If you can't see the image above, click (https://cdn.runescape.com/assets/img/external/oldschool/2026/Newsposts/2026-06-3X/tree.jpg)!

Harvesting these trees requires 77** **Woodcutting and offers a new way to train the skill while gathering one of Vampyrium’s most valuable resources: Bloodwood sap.

This activity is intentionally designed around a spectrum of engagement, similar in spirit to systems such as Oathplate smelting. You can approach Bloodwood Trees in a relatively low-intensity, semi-AFK way, or opt into a more click-intensive style that rewards focus and effort.

Once gathered, this untradeable sap can be used to treat eligible Logs, arrows, or Arrow shafts before fletching them into Seeker arrows (more on that below) with a sharper, more reliable bite...

A Note On XP & PvM Interactions

XP Rates

If you followed our earlier blogs, you may notice that this version of Bloodwood Woodcutting offers significantly higher XP rates under certain conditions of high-intensity play than originally discussed. While the original proposal outlined rates of roughly** **80-90k XP/hr through more active play, the activity released today can compete with top-end methods under highly optimised play.

As development continued, the activity evolved across the entire engagement spectrum, with the biggest changes coming at the higher-intensity end. Through iteration and playtesting, the mechanics became deeper and more involved than our initial proposal. As that happened, we felt the XP rewards needed to evolve alongside the activity, rather than remain locked to rates first outlined in the overview blog.

At the same time, this also aligned with a wider shift in player feeling around XP rates and skilling metas in general, particularly regarding methods involving tick manipulation. We've heard plenty of feedback over the past year that activities requiring greater attention and execution should feel appropriately rewarding, and we wanted Bloodwood trees to reflect that philosophy.

As with all new content, we'll be watching how this plays out at launch and looking at both Bloodwood sap production and how this activity fits within the wider Woodcutting meta. If the balance isn't where folks would like it to be, we'll make the necessary adjustments together as we go.

PvM Interactions

Our earlier blogs also mentioned that certain PvM encounters in Vampyrium could support Bloodwood sap production. However, during development, we explored several implementations but ultimately ran into the same problem each time. Either the PvM rewards were so small that they didn't feel worthwhile, or they became valuable enough that they undermined Bloodwood Woodcutting as the primary way of obtaining sap, and we couldn't find a middle ground that achieved what we wanted. Instead, at launch, Bloodwood Trees will remain the primary source of Bloodwood Sap, making higher-intensity Bloodwood Woodcutting even more rewarding for players who choose to engage with it. We'll continue monitoring how Bloodwood sap enters the game after release, and if additional sources are needed in future, we'll discuss those with you before making changes.

Finally, we appreciate that both of these changes differ from what was originally outlined in our Overview blog. We should have communicated those changes more clearly before launch, rather than leaving players to discover them on release day, and that's on us. We'll do better to call out significant design changes like these in future, and we'll continue listening to your feedback as Blood Moon Rises settles in.

Venator Slayer

Among Vampyrium’s deadliest inhabitants are the Venators - vampyric pack beasts bred for blood sport an