Hello everyone.
As we close out this week, we wanted to provide the latest updates of the Login Lockout situation.
Today, we've entered the next milestone of our work to resolve this issue, known as the Account Restoration Phase. Here's a look at what this will involve and the next steps we’ll be taking over the coming days.The Restoration Phase
This process has two parts: the Account Integrity Review and the Full Restoration.
The first wave of testing is underway, starting with the personal accounts of some J-Mods that were impacted. Our QA team will be checking these accounts on internal test worlds and identifying problematic areas that need further refinement. We expect this to take most of the weekend.
Next week we aim to start doing the same with player accounts, and that will involve the most important testers of all - you.
Account Integrity Review
The Account Integrity Review will begin with a Beta Test, where we'll invite a select number of players to give us feedback on their account post-restoration.
While we would love to give everyone this opportunity, we've only opened the Beta to accounts who we’ve identified as being most helpful for critical feedback. They’ll assess the quality of their own account restoration to help us improve the process and define our next steps for the Full Restoration. Please note, those who take part will not receive any special benefits for doing so. All affected players will be provided with a clear way to reach out to our support teams if anything is amiss after the restoration phase.
Our team have been hard at work on so many levels to make these tests possible, and we’re hopeful the end result will allow us to return your accounts as accurately as we possibly can.
Ideally, this phase will begin later next week – but this weekend’s work will help us narrow down the timeline for certain.
Game Updates
We know many of you are also missing our weekly Game Updates, so here’s a quick update on those.
Firstly, there’ll be no Game Update next week as our number one priority is resolving the account lockout issue. You’ve all been incredibly patient, and we’re continually thankful for that.
As we move onto the next phase, our technical resource needs will reduce, allowing us to get back to our planned content schedule without disrupting the restoration work. So, if everything goes smoothly with the Account Integrity review, we currently expect Game Updates to return from March 22nd. That’s a definite ‘if’ for now though, as all of this is contingent on continued good progress with getting affected players back into the game.
That said, there’s a jam-packed couple of updates to look forward to when those updates resume! We’ll kick things off with the Rex Matriarchs, closely followed by a brand-new Easter seasonal event and the eagerly awaited Pi-Mas Combat Fixes. We're also continuing work on addressing the Elite Dungeons exploit as soon as we can. Finally, for those of you who feel like you are missing out on Yak Track time and Vic The Trader, know that we intend to ensure extended availability for both of these events once accounts have been restored.
What's Next?
So, to recap: we’re moving into the Restoration phase with internal testing over the next few days and the Account Integrity Beta scheduled for later next week. Regular game updates will likely make a return on March 22nd, and both Yak to Basics and Vic the Trader will stick around long enough for everyone to spend adequate time with each event.
Before we get back to work, I want to leave you with one last message. We will do right by anyone who’s been impacted by this issue – and I want you to know that even if the Beta doesn’t get us all the way there, we’re going to keep moving forward, get you playing and continue offering support until we get this right. Please do keep an eye on RuneScape.com or any of our social media channels for daily updates on our progress.
Until then, know that we’re all very much moved by your continued understanding and support. Thank you, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s update.
- Mod Warden