RuneScape is a sandbox MMORPG that offers players the freedom to explore and progress through the world of Gielinor in ways that match their individual playstyles. Whether you're an avid skiller, a dedicated quester, or a thrill-seeking boss hunter, there are countless paths to advancement.
For combat-focused players in particular, progression often centers around acquiring powerful and unique gear to tackle RuneScape’s diverse and challenging bosses. Among the most sought-after items are high-level weapons that enhance the various combat styles. These weapons are essential to mastering the game’s combat systems and form the backbone of high-end PvE encounters.
In this update launching on Tuesday May 27th, we'll focus specifically on two categories of these powerful tools: Legendary and Masterwork weapons.
Legendary Weapons
Ek-ZekKil
The colossal two-handed blade of TzKal-Zuk— the weapon of the great champion himself—has long struggled to stand out as a standalone melee weapon. Instead, it’s often used in tandem with other bleed-focused gear, which has led to it feeling more like a utility item than the fearsome weapon it was meant to be. While we’re not opposed to some weapons being primarily valued for their special attacks, players have consistently expressed a desire for more reasons to actively wield this sword in combat.
In response, we’ve taken the Ek-ZekKil back to the drawing board, aiming to give it a stronger, clearer identity. Whereas the Leng weapons shine in shorter bursts, we want the EZK to come into its own during longer, sustained encounters, rewarding players who commit to its power over time.
To achieve this, we’ve removed the current special attack, Igneous Cleave, and replaced it with a new one: Igneous Showdown. This new ability has a 1-minute cooldown, costs 65% Adrenaline, and draws inspiration from the dramatic duels that Zuk himself has faced, reinforcing the weapon’s identity and thematic roots.
Activating Igneous Showdown will initially deal moderate damage to your target and mark them as your Flamebound Rival until either they are defeated or you fall in combat. This mark can be transferred to another enemy by using the special attack on a new target; however, you can only have one rival active at a time. While a target is marked, you gain the following benefits:
- +5% melee damage against your Flamebound Rival
- 5% reduced damage taken from them
- Using Igneous Showdown on the same rival deals additional damage.
In addition to the new special attack, the Ek-ZekKil now features a passive effect called Ashen Vow, which is active while the weapon is equipped.
This passive empowers three of your melee abilities:
- Pulverise: Adrenaline cost reduced from 100% → 60%
- Quake: Increases the Base Hit Chance debuff on all affected enemies from 2 → 4
- Lesser Smash: Increases damage from 95–115% → 150–170%
- Smash: Increases damage from 100–120% → 160–180%
With this combination of increased melee damage, enemy debuffs, and enhancements to some underutilized abilities, we believe the Ek-ZekKil will finally establish itself as a valuable and versatile weapon—no longer just a shiny piece of jewelry.
Speaking of which... as part of this update will be returning any Ek-ZekKils that have been placed into an Essence of Finality, on login you will find them in your bank, if you do not have bank space you will be able to collect it from War's Clan Representative in War's Retreat or if you're a GIM it may be in the Group Storage.
Fractured Staff of Armadyl
The Fractured Staff of Armadyl has remained a powerful weapon since its release, but over time, its shine has faded—largely because, unlike other Tier 95 weapons, it lacks a passive effect while wielded. This has slightly limited its overall effectiveness, especially as newer weapons have entered the scene.
With this update, we’re introducing a new passive effect for the staff: Surging Storm. This passive increases your critical strike damage (not the chance to crit, but the damage dealt when you do) by 15–30% while wielding the Fractured Staff of Armadyl. This additional critical damage would boost your critical damage from 150% (100% base + 50% from 90 Magic) to between 165 - 180%. This effect is designed to synergize naturally with the staff’s strong focus on critical strikes and its existing special attack, giving it a boost in modern combat scenarios.
Unlike the Ek-ZekKil, we felt the current iteration of the Fractured Staff of Armadyl was already in a solid place—it just needed a bit more punch. Given its crit-focused playstyle, the new passive felt like a natural fit to elevate its performance without disrupting its core identity. Speaking of critical strike chance…
Tectonic & Elite Tectonic Armour
With the announcement of the upcoming Amascut-themed magic armour at RuneFest, and our recent blog discussing 110 Crafting and Masterwork Magic Armour, we wanted to revisit the current state of magic armour—specifically, Tectonic and Elite Tectonic.
While these Tier 90/92 sets offer the highest flat magic damage, they've often played second fiddle to the Tuska Warpriest and Sliske armour effects, which provide a flat 6% critical strike chance. Given how strongly magic builds prioritize critical strike chance, Tectonic armour has been in need of a refresh.
To address this, we’re introducing a new shared set bonus:
- Tectonic: +1% critical strike chance per piece
- Elite Tectonic: +2% critical strike chance per piece
Crucially, we’re not changing the Tuska/Sliske set bonuses—they will still grant the full 6% critical strike chance. Instead, this update creates a clearer progression path:
- If you want pure crit, Tuska's set remains a strong option.
- If you prefer flat damage, Tectonic delivers.
- And if you’re looking for a mix of both, Elite Tectonic now stands out as the best of both worlds.
Masterwork Weapons
With the release of 110 Smithing, Fletching & Runecrafting completed we have released three powerful Masterwork weapons. The Masterwork Sword, Bow and Staff.
These weapons are player-crafted through extensive processes that require high levels across multiple skills, often incorporating materials sourced from boss encounters. They boast tier 100 stats and can be augmented, but currently lack any additional passive effects or special attacks. In essence, they are powerful yet straightforward — strong, but not complex.
In the context of a classic RPG, these weapons would sit above core crafted gear thanks to the significant investment of time and resources required to make them—but they wouldn’t be considered ultimate endgame items. Within the RuneScape ecosystem, however, they occupy a more ambiguous space. Are they intended as an accessible entry point for players learning combat? A training tool for mid-to-high level progression? Or are they simply another option in the arsenal of experienced boss hunters? Depending on who you ask, the answer could be all of the above. So with this update, our goal is to clarify their role and define where these weapons fit on the curve.
Improving Masterwork: Sustain, Survive, Succeed
With this update we will be adding in a new passive to the Masterwork Bow/Sword & Staff called Masterworked Mending.
This passive is simple: attacks with these weapons heal the player for 2% of the damage dealt. Internally, we’ve been discussing how best to evolve the Masterwork weapons, taking into account player feedback. Our goal was to strike a balance—enhancing their value as a supportive tool for newer combat players, while also positioning them as a viable, optional choice for experienced PvMers. Importantly, this update isn't about overshadowing or competing with Legendary Weapons, but rather about giving Masterwork gear a clearer, more purposeful role in the broader combat ecosystem.
Healing is a highly versatile aspect of combat. For newer players, it acts as a safety net—extending the length of encounters and providing more time to learn mechanics and develop strategies. In the hands of skilled veterans, it becomes an additional tool in their arsenal, either helping supplement their defensive kits or smoothing over less threatening combat such as slayer tasks.
During our exploration, we considered a wide range of options, including both new special attacks and passive effects. Some of the ideas included:
- Empowered versions of existing special attacks, such as those from the Dark Bow or Armadyl Battlestaff
- Weakened variants of Legendary Weapon special attacks
- Unique special attacks that were designed as introductory tools to help players learn core combat mechanics
- Passives that enhanced specific abilities like Greater Chain, Ricochet, or Barge
While many of these concepts had potential, they often conflicted with the core goals of this update—whether by overcomplicating the experience, blurring the identity of Masterwork weapons, or unintentionally diminishing the uniqueness and prestige of other high-end gear. That said, this exploration has sparked valuable ideas, and we’ll be carrying many of them forward to inform the design of future weapons and combat updates.
When can you get your hands on them?
Thank you for reading through these development insights, our team have been long listening to players discuss ways that could improve these weapons and armours and we hope that these new effects will open up new gameplay options for all manner of players!
This update will launch on Tuesday the 27th of May (Monday the 26th is a bank holiday) see you all there!