The sea’s calling, and for once, Gielinor’s answering back.
After nineteen long years, Old School RuneScape is getting its first new skill — Sailing, officially dropping November 19, 2025.
If you’ve been around long enough to remember when Rune essence was the hot commodity, this update might hit a little different. For the newer crowd, it’s a moment that shows OSRS still has wind in its sails.
Back in March 2023, Jagex let the community decide which skill to add: Taming, Shamanism, or Sailing. The people spoke — 71.9% voted to set sail.
This is a win not just for the devs, but for the players who’ve kept the game alive for two decades.
“This is a monumental moment in OSRS history,” wrote Reddit user flamedbaby. “We’ve had content of every kind, but never a new skill.”
The nostalgia hit hard. Another old-schooler chimed in:
“I remember Construction’s release when every forest near Varrock got stripped bare for planks. Those were the days.”
OSRS thrives on those shared memories — and Sailing might just bring that feeling back.
At launch, every member starts at Level 1 Sailing, but you’ll need to complete the Pandemonium quest to actually unlock it.
You’ll start out with a basic raft, then work your way up to bigger, better boats. Players can refit their hulls, build cannons, recruit crew members like Jobless Jim, and take on activities such as Sea Charting, Port Tasks, and the wild Barracuda Trials.
There’s danger too. The seas are multi-combat, storms can wreck your ship, and certain drinks out there might do more harm than good. Hardcore and Ironman accounts have already started theory-crafting death-avoiding strategies — or in OSRS fashion, planning to die trying.
Jagex’s release plan shows they’re not taking chances:
7:15 AM UTC: update timer goes live
8:00 AM: worlds offline for update
8:15 – 10:00 AM: final checks
~10:00 AM: Sailing unlocks
The oceans will expand the game’s map by around 190%, making this the biggest content drop since the original skill lineup back in 2006. Developers even call it their “project of projects” — basically, RuneScape’s biggest leap since the Grand Exchange.
Not everyone’s just clapping and cheering, though.
Some players are calling Sailing a “buy-out skill” — saying the requirements to experience the full content are way too high for casuals. Between Construction levels, material costs, and resource grinding, it’s starting to look like one of the most expensive skills in the game’s history.
That’s where a lot of players are turning to support sites like Tons Of XP — a community hub that helps players plan their skilling, questing, and leveling routes without burning out their bank or patience. Whether you’re a main, Iron, or Ultimate, Tons Of XP has prep guides and calculators to help get you sea-ready before launch day. You can read more about it on their website.
Because let’s be real: nobody wants to spend the first week chopping oaks and smelting bars while everyone else is out at sea.
Even with the grind, the mood is electric. You can feel it through every Reddit thread and Discord ping.
Players are stocking up on planks, nails, rope, and metal bars. Markets are buzzing, memes are flying, and everyone’s arguing over who’ll be the first to 99.
It’s messy, chaotic, and pure RuneScape energy.
One user summed it up with the perfect mix of disbelief and excitement:
“We used to joke about Sailing on Photobucket memes 20 years ago… now it’s real.”
On November 19, the docks at Port Sarim will be flooded — not with water, but with players.
Some will race to finish Pandemonium, others will AFK their way through Port Tasks, and a few will probably sink before they even leave the harbor.
And that’s the beauty of it. After all these years, OSRS is proving it can still surprise the people who thought they’d seen it all.
For anyone who still loves the grind — who finds peace in ticking off XP goals, stacking supplies, or setting up that perfect training route — there’s a whole crew of players out there building resources, guides, and tools to make every click count. They’re the quiet force behind every 99 cape, the reason someone logs in after work and still feels progress. You might not notice them at first, but their help is everywhere, and that’s what keeps this game alive long after the memes fade.
Whether you’re prepping your bank or just along for the nostalgia, the ocean’s opening up.
And somewhere out there, your first ship is waiting — creaky boards, dodgy sails, and all.
Sailing launches on November 19, 2025, for all OSRS members. The update starts rolling out around 8:00 AM UTC, and if everything goes to plan, the skill unlocks for players around 10:00 AM UTC.
You’ll need to complete a new mini-quest called Pandemonium, found at Port Sarim. Talk to Will or Anne near the docks to get started. It’s members-only, has no hard requirements, and acts as a quick intro to ship handling and Sailing basics.
Sailing is members-only. Free-to-play players can still see the skill in their stats (starting at level 1), but won’t be able to train it or start Pandemonium.