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Group Ironman Launches 28 Oct

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Group Ironman Launches 28 Oct

Group Ironman - Launches October 28th

Steel yourselves for self-sufficient 'Scaping but this time with a team of friends! Now's your chance to build a powerful squad of Ironmen, where the team is stronger than any individual, and compete for the top spot on the leaderboards. It's a new way to experience Gielinor!

I am (Group) Ironman

Group Ironman follows the same principles as normal Ironman rules. Players are self-sufficient, unable to trade (mostly) and have a DIY attitude towards the game and its challenges.

However, in Group Ironman you embark on this journey with a group of 2 -5 friends and take on all the challenges Gielinor can throw you! Group members can trade freely, tradeable items to each other. For regular irons, this isn't possible and to take it a whole step further they will have access to a Group storage function, a shared bank that would let you pass around select items that were previously untradeable.

You will also be able to compete for new leaderboard positions in both Competitive and Regular Group Ironman modes. And earn unique rewards like the group Ironman armour which improves as you complete journey achievements. In this blog, we will go over information that was previously released in our RCE Blogs and other discussions!

If you are an avid reader of the recent FAQ and RCE Blogs on the GIM content a lot of this information won't be new to you, the main goal of this blog is to try gather it all up.

Overview

Group Ironman introduces an exciting new way for adventurers to explore Gielinor. Now it's time to gather up to five of your most trusted allies and face the challenge together as a team!


  • Competitive Group Ironman
    • A further restrictive ruleset for those wanting a challenge. This focuses more on group gameplay where no outside influence is allowed. Both Regular and Competitive modes have high scores.
  • Defined ruleset
    • The rules of the game mode are defined in stone up front, and displayed in-game, ensuring a clear position on current and upcoming content.
  • New feature: Journey achievements
    • Journey achievements are like Qualifications from Archaeology, providing a wide variety of challenges and tasks across the whole of Gielinor requiring the whole group to come together to complete.
  • A unique and stylish set of armour
    • Not only will Group Ironmen get their armour, but completing Journey Tier achievements unlocks an evolving cosmetic version to demonstrate your group's achievement through the Journey system.
  • More Freedom in Group Storage
    • Not only tradeable items will be available to be stored within Group Storage, but certain untradeable items - including augmented weapons/armour - will be able to be stored here.
  • "Together as One" Group Management
    • Removing group members, and other important decisions, requires a supermajority to enact to ensure the safety of all group members.

So if you are familiar with the regular Ironman mode (has it already been 10 years) you will be well in your element but there are a few twists to playing as part of either a Group Ironman or a Competitive Group Ironman.

Competitive? Isn't it all a competition?

Group Ironman comes in two varieties: Group Ironman (GIM) and Competitive Group Ironman (CGIM). While these modes are similar, there are key distinctions between them.

Does your group want a relaxed experience with fewer restrictions? Or do you prefer the challenge of stricter rules to showcase your skills? We've designed these two modes to cater to both playstyles.

Regular Group Ironman (GIM) follows the familiar RuneScape Ironman rules but in a group setting. Group members can share access to Group Storage, trade items, and participate in the Journey system together. This means GIM groups can engage in content with other groups or non-Group Ironmen while adhering to standard Ironman rules and allowances. GIM has its high scores, and regular Ironman accounts can switch to this mode, though the change is irreversible.

Competitive Group Ironman (CGIM), on the other hand, is guided by a single principle: no interaction or assistance from anyone outside your group. It’s just you and your team—together as one.

In CGIM, certain content is either restricted to group members only or locked due to the potential influence of outside players. Additionally, PvM loot rules require CGIM members to deal 100% of the damage to receive any drops. To balance this, boss instancing will be free for CGIM players. This mode is only accessible to new accounts, and a CGIM group can only replace members with fresh accounts if someone leaves.

To prevent accidental downgrades from CGIM, the game will block or prevent any actions that break CGIM rules. For example, if you attempt something against the rules in PvM, you’ll either receive no rewards, be automatically teleported away, or be prevented from completing the action.

Founders Status

When a group is formed they have a Founders status. This is a cosmetic indicator that is reserved for groups consisting of the founding original members, setting them apart from those that have altered over time.

This status rewards teams for staying loyal to each other and recognizes their collective progress. Founders' status is displayed in a message box when the group is created but is lost if any new members are invited after the group is formed. It's a special way to encourage commitment and celebrate a team's unity.

There's a 7-day grace period on group forming so any members that join within 7 days will have founder status. No need to wait for everyone to be online at the same time, The group leader will need to return to the Iron Enclave to invite the new members, but this can be re-accessed at any time.

Defined ruleset

It's crucial to have a clearly defined ruleset outlining what Group Ironman players can and cannot do, especially for the Competitive Group Ironman mode.

These rules should be accessible at any time, easily understood by anyone, including the development team, and leave no ambiguity about what is or isn't allowed, even as future content is added. To ensure clarity, the rules will also be available in-game, providing a reliable reference if there's ever uncertainty about the mode's mechanics.

The ruleset for both Regular and Competitive Group Ironman can be found below.

Rules (Click here to expand)


Glossary

  • Ironman Modes
    • Ironman Mode (IM): Self-sufficient game mode, where most interactions with other players are blocked.
    • Hardcore Ironman Mode (HCIM, HC): Ironman variant with limited lives. Losing all lives converts to Ironman mode.
    • Group Ironman Mode (GIM): Allows up to 5 players to group together under Ironman restrictions.
    • Competitive Group Ironman Mode (CGIM): Features a stricter GIM ruleset with greater limitations on moving between groups.

Group Ironman Terms

  • Founder status
    • Individual: A player who created the group.
    • Group: Group contains only its individual founders - nobody has joined or left.
      • There is a 7 day grace period upon group creation where new members may be invited without losing founder status.
  • Active members
    • If a player has not logged in for 28 days they are considered inactive.
    • An inactive player is not counted towards group votes, unless they log in while a vote is in progress.
  • Storable Items
    • A term for untradeable items that may be shared with other group members via group storage.

Group Ironman Mode

All Ironman mode rules apply to Group Ironman mode. Rules within the Group Ironman ruleset override any conflicting rules from the Ironman mode ruleset.


  • Group Creation
    • New groups must be founded by two or more players who have chosen Group Ironman mode whilst on Iron Enclave.
    • A group may not have the same name as another group or a clan.
    • Initial group members are known as 'founding members'.
    • The group also has 'founder' status as long as it consists only of its founding members. Any players joining or leaving will invalidate group founder status.
  • Changing Game Modes
    • Existing Ironman mode players may choose to become a Group Ironman mode player, irrevocably renouncing their normal Ironman status.
    • To leave the Group Ironman gamemode, players must renounce all Ironman statuses and then become a 'main', a normal player who plays with no special ruleset.
  • Leaving a Group
    • Kicking a member
      • Any player may initiate a vote to remove any other group member.
      • All active members must vote 'Yes' for a kick to be applied.
    • If a leader leaves, leader status will pass to the player who has been in the group the longest.
    • Group Ironman players may leave and join groups freely.
      • All items and stats earned or given by the previous group are retained.
      • Joining a new group has a 14 day cooldown before being able to access group storage.
  • Item Trading
    • Players within a group in the Group Ironman gamemode may trade items marked as tradeable by the game to each other.
    • Players within a group may unlock and access 'Group Storage' which allows group members to store tradeable items and specific untradeable items which can be withdrawn by other members.
      • Item types that may be stored include:
        • Archaeology materials
        • Bird's nests & geodes
        • Equipment: Augmented items (where the original item is tradeable
        • Equipment: Degrading items (where the original item is tradeable
        • Equipment: Masterwork armour
        • Equipment: Slayer helmets Farming seeds & saplings
        • Necromancy materials
        • Potions
        • Summoning charms & materials
        • Teleportation jewellery & items
        • Treasure trails (sealed)
        • Urns
        • Weapon and equipment fragments (e.g. Imcando, Spider leg top)
      • Items that progress quests will not be storable even if they fit in the above categories.
      • Storable items may not be player-to-player traded by group members even though they are storable.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Any Group Ironman-specific achievements earned by group members do not contribute Runescore.

Competitive Group Ironman Mode

All Ironman mode and Group Ironman mode rules apply to Competitive Group Ironman mode. Rules within the Competitive Group Ironman ruleset override any conflicting rules from the Ironman and Group Ironman mode rulesets.


  • Group Creation
    • Only valid accounts can create a CGIM group.
      • Accounts which complete or skip the initial game tutorial following the Group Ironman game update; hereby known as 'fresh accounts'.
      • Accounts which have left a CGIM group may create a new group with only fresh accounts.
    • If a CGIM group has a vacancy, it may only be filled by fresh accounts.
  • Changing Game Modes
    • If you want to leave your current Group, or are subsequently removed, there are only three options available to you.
      • Creating a new CGIM group with fresh accounts.
      • Joining an existing GIM group - this will convert you from CGIM to GIM.
      • Converting to a regular account.
    • No items or stats are lost during this process.
  • Player Interaction
    • CGIM players are restricted from interacting with other players.
      • CGIM group members must deal 100% of damage to obtain drops.
      • Minigames and D&Ds which can not be accessed:
        • Barbarian Assault (only available for size 5 groups)
        • Blast Furnace
        • Conquest
        • Deathmatch
        • Fishing Trawler
        • Fist of Guthix
        • Great Orb Project
        • Goebie Supply Run
        • Heist
        • Pest Control
        • Premier Vault
        • Sinkholes
        • Soul Wars
        • Stealing Creation
        • Trouble Brewing
        • Tzhaar Fight Pit (Tokkul not awarded)
        • Wilderness Warbands
        • World D&Ds (e.g. Evil Tree) will only provide rewards if only players from your group interact with the event
      • Other content may only be used with members of your own group:
        • Assist system
        • Divine locations
        • Group prayers (e.g. soul link)
        • Group spells (e.g. vengeance)
        • Social Slayer

Downgrading Rules

You can downgrade your account to modes with fewer restrictions. Warning: Any downgrade is permanent.


  • Hardcore Ironman
    • May downgrade to Ironman mode.
    • May downgrade to a regular account.
    • To join Group Ironman, downgrade to Ironman mode first.
    • Unable to become Competitive Group Ironman.
  • Ironman
    • May downgrade to Group Ironman mode by creating or joining a group.
      • Warning: If the Ironman account downgrading was created before the Group Ironman mode release date (28th Oct 2024) the group will be ineligible for hiscores. If it is already on hiscores, it will be removed.
      • Downgrade applies upon joining the group.
    • May downgrade to a regular account.
    • Unable to become Competitive Group Ironman.
  • Competitive Group Ironman - after leaving a group:
    • May downgrade to a Group Ironman.
    • May create another competitive group with new accounts.
    • May downgrade to a regular account.
  • Group Ironman - after leaving a group:
    • May join another Ironman group.
    • May downgrade to a regular account.

Journey achievements

We're introducing a new feature to Group Ironman aimed at helping groups find direction if they haven't fully planned their approach when forming their team. Inspired by the Qualifications system in Archaeology, this feature will guide players through key aspects of the game, providing increasingly valuable rewards as they progress.

When creating your group, you'll be tasked with completing your first "Journey Tier" achievement—an introduction to the longer journey ahead. Unlocking the first of ten Journey Tiers serves as a brief tutorial, explaining how the system works and granting your group access to Group Storage. To give you an idea of how this will function, here's a breakdown of the requirements for Journey Tier 1:


  • Journey Tier 1
    • Achieve (50 multiplied by group size) total level across the whole group.
    • Achieve (5 multiplied by group size) quest points across the whole group.
    • At least one group member has completed the quest 'Restless Ghost'.
    • At least one group member has completed 'The Scourge of Misthalin' achievement.
    • At least one group member has completed 'The Provider of Misthalin' achievement.

As you may have noticed, we've added new achievements that will be available to all players on the release of Group Ironman. We've added these, and other new achievements, to better help the scaling difficulty of Journey Tier achievements where existing achievements don't cover what we require. Here are those two new achievement requirements:


  • The Scourge of Misthalin
    • Kill 3 Cows.
    • Kill 3 Goblins.
    • Kill 3 Giant Rats.
    • Kill 3 Wizards (Blue/Dark).
    • Kill 3 Barbarians.
    • 5 Runescore.
  • The Provider of Misthalin
    • Gather 10 logs.
    • Gather 10 shrimp.
    • Gather 10 copper ore.
    • Gather 10 tin ore.
    • 5 Runescore.

The Journey achievement system is designed to provide your group with goals to complete and an opportunity to specialise in specific areas of the game, should you choose to.

Whether your group wants to focus on quests, PvM, skilling, or take on a generalist role to assist with various group needs, the choice is entirely yours. Specialisation can help streamline your group's progression, but it's not a requirement.

Ultimately, how you engage with the Journey Tier achievements is up to you. You can pursue them for added direction and rewards, or you can take a more flexible approach without specialising.

This game mode is meant to adapt to your group's preferences, giving you the freedom to decide how you want to tackle it.

Rewards

Speaking of rewards as you complete the Journey Achievements Tiers your group will unlock Group Ironman-specific rewards such as:

Unique GIM Armour

Deck the squad out in matching dapper threads! Available in Blue for Group Ironman and Red for Competitive Group Ironman players. This armour updates at different tiers and unlocks some fiery effects for the plume at Tier 4.

Unique Titles

Not only will you get to remind everyone you are a "Group Ironman Btw" but you will also unlock the "Together as One" title as you progress.

And brand new Group Poses

These special Poses are available to the entire group so you can strike a dramatic pose when snapping screenshots of the milestones you will be earning!

Oh and don't forget the biggest reward!

Group Storage

Group Storage is a shared bank that grows in size as you progress the journey achievements that are available to all members of a Group Ironman team, allowing them to store and access items seamlessly. Any group member can deposit or withdraw items from Group Storage, which is accessible at any location with a bank. This makes it easy to share items without the need to meet in person, providing a convenient way to support your team.

But that’s not all—certain untradeable items, which are typically restricted from player-to-player trading, can also be stored and shared through Group Storage. This feature allows important items, such as augmented weapons and armour, to be freely exchanged within the group.

In Old School RuneScape, it's common for groups to share key PvM items, as they remain tradeable. However, in RuneScape, augmenting items is critical, and de-augmenting or removing perks to trade them would not only create a significant barrier but also waste valuable resources like perfectly perked gizmos. This was a priority for us during the early design phase, and it has been a highly requested feature from the community. By including this in Group Storage, we’re excited to deliver a truly cooperative experience that lets you share and strategize with ease.

"Together as One" Group Management

Ensuring player safety and security is a top priority, and this extends to the tools needed to manage a group in Group Ironman. In any multiplayer environment, misunderstandings or impulsive decisions can occur, which could lead to significant changes within a group. To prevent this in Group Ironman, we’ve implemented safeguards for important group decisions, such as removing a member or downgrading from Competitive mode.

These decisions will require a supermajority—meaning every other member of the group must agree before any action can be taken. Additionally, each decision will have an associated timeframe, allowing for changes to be reversed if the group reconsiders. This system ensures that all key decisions are deliberate and that no drastic changes happen without full group consensus.

FAQ

We recently hosted both an AMA and published a blog to address some of the most pressing questions players had about Group Ironman (GIM). To ensure everyone stays on the same page, we’ve compiled and organised those questions and answers here.

What sort of items will I be able to share with my group?

We wanted to limit the sort of items that can be added as little as possible. The following is the in-game description of the Group Storage and Trade Restrictions. You will be able to read the full list in-game and in the Rules section earlier in this blog.

We built out the group storage whitelist through the following flow. Each item would go down this list in order, if it passed the criteria it would go in and if it got to the end of the flow it wouldn't be allowed in. Here is an example of an item passing through this process:

Augmented Abyssal Whip:


  • Is it Non-Bankable? - If it is, blacklist the item
    • As the Augmented Abyssal whip does not fit the category of unbankable, it moves down to the next stage.
  • Is it an item in a whitelisted category? - If it is, allow the item
    • The Augmented Abyssal whip is not in a whitelisted category, such as food or potions, so it moves down to the next stage.
  • Is it an item in a blacklisted category? - if it is, block the item
    • The Augmented Abyssal whip is not in a blacklisted category, such as quest progression items, so it moves down to the next stage.
  • Is the item tradeable? - if it is, allow the item
    • The Augmented Abyssal whip is not tradeable, so it moves down to the next stage.
  • Is the item augmented or degraded? - If it meets certain criteria, allow.
    • The Augmented Abyssal whip is augmented, and at this stage, it would be allowed into the group storage.

In general, items that make it through this entire flow without being categorised would be blocked by default.

It's worth mentioning that the team is happy to take on feedback post-launch if there are certain blacklisted items that players would like to be able to share. We'll be paying close attention to player feedback on the Group Storage and can make changes if they are desired by our community.

How will auras and Loyalty points be handled in Group Ironman Mode?

All accounts with Group Ironman status will have access to all Loyalty Point Shop auras at all tiers. If you downgrade from a Group Ironman to a regular account, you will lose access to those auras and need to purchase them with Loyalty Points.

RuneScape has a wide variety of content that requires certain group sizes to complete, are there any changes being made to these encounters to enable Competitive GIM access?

While we will be making changes to certain harder requirements, we will not be making any exemptions or allowances for content that is technically completable in a smaller competitive group.

As an example, Beastmaster Durzag is mechanically completable in a smaller group, and we will not be making special allowances for competitive groups to be able to play this content with players outside of their group.

With that said, we will be looking at things like the "Yakamaru Puzzle" and the entry requirements for Barbarian Assault, post-launch. We will continue to review and aim to make as much of the game available as possible to GCIM players.

How do GIM and CGIM interact with Minigames or D&Ds?

Group Ironman Mode teammates are restricted similarly to Ironman Mode, CGIM is further restricted due to how some of these activities function.

Minigames

GIM follows standard IM rules. Competitive GIM follow IM rules, but are excluded from:

  • Blast Furnace
  • Conquest
  • Deathmatch
  • Fishing Trawler
  • Fist of Guthix
  • Great Orb Project
  • Heist
  • Pest Control
  • Soul Wars
  • Stealing Creation
  • Trouble Brewing

D&Ds

GIM follows standard IM rules. Competitive GIM follow IM rules, but are excluded from:

  • Goebie Supply Runs
  • Premier Vault
  • Sinkholes
  • Wilderness Flash Events
  • Wilderness Warbands

Other Content

Both GIM & CGIM have access to the following content:

  • Player-owned house
    • Can use all interactables within the house
  • Auras - all auras auto unlocked
  • Assist system
  • Divine locations
    • They can interact with their teams' locations.
  • Dungeoneering
  • Social Slayer
  • Seren spells & prayers
    • CGIM can only be used within the group; GIM can use alongside other IM & mains
  • Tele other/group
  • Cure other/group
  • Heal other/group
  • Vengeance other/group
  • Potion share

With Competitive Group Ironman not being able to receive rewards from Wilderness Flash Events, how will competitive groups obtain the Dark Onyx Core?

Competitive Group Ironman players will not be able to obtain the Dark Onyx Core.

When considering new game modes it's important that they offer something different. For Competitive Group Ironman, the group-only interaction rules may mean that several items, such as the Dark Onyx Core, are unavailable.

We understand there are rewards you may want to use, and we will continue to monitor feedback well after Group Ironman Mode launches. In certain cases, a future game update may change content to allow Competitive Group Ironman to participate, or we may offer different routes to obtain desirable items but these will not be available on launch.

Will there be new group broadcasts added for Group Ironman Mode?

Yes! A variety of new global broadcasts have been added. A full list of those broadcasts can be viewed here:

World First Broadcasts:

  • All Members have All skills at level 99
  • All Members have All skills at level 120
  • All Members have All skills at 200m XP
  • All members at Max total level (3040)
  • All members have unlocked the quest cape
  • All members have unlocked the master quest cape
  • All members have unlocked the completionist cape
  • All members have unlocked the trimmed completionist cape
  • All members have unlocked the final boss title
  • All members have unlocked the insane final boss title
  • All members have unlocked the daredevil title
  • The Group has completed Journey Tier (1-10) achievement (each achievement is an individual broadcast)
  • The group has completed a Yakamaru kill together
  • The group has completed a Nex: angel of death kill together
  • The group has completed a Zamorak kill at 100% enrage together
  • The group has completed a Zamorak kill at 1000% enrage together
  • The group has completed a Zamorak kill at 2000% enrage together
  • The group has completed a Zamorak kill at 4000% enrage together

These will be global broadcasts and will be permanently visible in-game by interacting with a statue on the Iron enclave.

There are individual broadcasts for each group size, both in competitive and non-competitive modes.

In addition to the new world's first broadcasts, the following will remain as general achievement broadcasts:

  • All Members have All skills at level 99
  • All Members have All skills at level 120
  • All Members have All skills at 200m XP
  • All members at Max total level (3040)
  • All members have unlocked the quest cape
  • All members have unlocked the master quest cape
  • All members have unlocked the completionist cape
  • All members have unlocked the trimmed completionist cape
  • All members have unlocked the final boss title
  • All members have unlocked the insane final boss title
  • All members have unlocked the daredevil title
  • The Group has completed Journey Tier 10

There will also be non-world first broadcasts, that will appear in the group Ironman chat for

  • Individual level ups
  • Quest completions
  • Boss personal bests

With regard to the Group Ironman Mode Hiscores, will standard Ironman characters who convert to Group Ironman be able to take all the top spots?

Originally, we planned for this to be the case, viewing competitive mode as the choice for high scores. Following community feedback, we have added an unranked status. If your Ironman group invites a player who was playing in Ironman mode before the Group Ironman release, you will be warned that your group will be removed from the high scores before choosing to invite them to your group.

An Ironman account created after the Group Ironman release may join an Ironman group without removing the group's high scores.

Have there been any considerations for noncompetitive Group Ironman accounts using the group storage to "trade" items to other groups?

When joining a new group there is a 14-day cooldown period before you would be able to use the Group Storage, so to leave and rejoin the same group would require a minimum of 28 days. In addition, the founder's status will be shown on the hiscores to identify groups that have never had a player leave or join. It's also worth noting that it is not possible to rejoin a Competitive Ironman group, so if you wish to compete against others who never swap groups, Competitive may be the mode for you!

To expand on this, when leaving an existing group you will have the following choices available to you:

If you are a Competitive Group Ironman:

  • Create a new competitive group with brand-new accounts
  • Downgrade to a standard GIM
  • Downgrade to a main account

If you are a Regular Group Ironman

  • Create another group
  • Join another group
  • Downgrade to the main account

Will Ironman accounts who previously asked Mr Ex to never sell them a book of diplomacy be able to convert to GIM?

Yes, anyone who has selected this option will have the ability to transfer from Ironman to Group Ironman if they choose. They will also have the chance to reaffirm their decision to remain un-downgraded.

However, it's important to note that you can only downgrade to a Group Ironman and not to a main account. There are internal discussions around offering a method to players who had previously opted out of deironing indefinitely but nothing has been decided at this point and will not be available for the launch of GIM.

What is the character limit for the group name?

Group names are limited to 20 characters. You can change your group name once every 28 days, but to do this, your group must first vote on whether to proceed with the change. If the vote passes, the group leader can select a new name. However, other group members cannot vote on the new name itself, so it's important to discuss and agree on a new name beforehand.

Can I make an account for Group Ironman Mode before launch, provided I leave the account in the character creation screen?

Yes, so long as your account remains in the character creation screen you'll be able to select Group Ironman Mode on release day.

How will bonds work for trading from mains to GIM for membership?

GIM will have the same rules as ironman and can accept bonds from anyone.

- The RuneScape Team

Mods Astar, Alex, Azanna, Bak, Balkan, Bam, Blkwitch, Boko, Brat, Breezy, Brig, Camel, Colibri, Chaose, Dark, Daze, Desert, Dorn, Dragon, Drew, Drewid, Easty, Echo, Fallen, Forza, Fowl, Fox, Frosch, Grace, Gunner, Helen, Hooli, Ink, Jack, Keyser, Kitsune, Kristy, Luma, Lunatear, Lykos, Lynx, Makkari, MIC, Mickey, Morty, Muse, Nemo, Neong, Nixon, Noms, Pearce, Pebble, Phoenix, Pigeon, Rain, Raiwtch, Ramen, Rowley, Rsguy, Ryan, Samy, Sakura, Shrew, Shrike, Skyefall, Soul, Sponge, Spyro, Stead, Stu, Sukotto, Taelae, Tiger, Timbo, Titus, Toebeans, Tri, Vegard, Volta, Who, Wov, Yuey & Zura

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