Runescape ditches Java for NXT engine after 15 years

Jagex has overhauled its long-running MMO Runescape with a brand new graphics engine.

The browser title launched in 2001, and has continued to render its 3D worlds in Java since.

NXT, as the new framework is called, adds a number of visual effects, as well as making the game a standard installer – rather than running an in-browser client.

Among the headline graphical bumps are new water effects, dynamic lighting and shadows, improved performance and extended draw distances, which are up to four times further.

In development for over two years, NXT also adds support for Windows 10 and DirectX 12.

Jagex said that it would continue to expand the engine, with higher-resolution textures, normal maps, volumetric lighting and smoother animations in the works.