Old School RuneScape is holding its first name release in close to a decade. Starting on 5 November 2026 at 11:00 UTC, Jagex will free up character names that have been locked away on abandoned accounts, and players who meet the requirements can claim them as their new display name.
Which names are coming back
Only names from abandoned characters qualify. A character has to have been inactive for at least two years, and it also has to meet one of these conditions:
- it was permanently banned,
- it was never a member, or
- its membership was only ever paid with Bonds and ended at least five years ago.
Names go out in alphabetical batches. The first batch covers names starting with A. After that, a new batch drops every weekday at 11:00 UTC through November until every name is out. The batches mix groups of letters in different sizes. Names that start with numbers come last and are spread across the final few batches.
Jagex will post the full batch schedule on launch day and update that post as each batch goes live. A new channel in the official Old School RuneScape Discord will track the releases as well, and players can sign up for notifications through the ‘Apply Role’ channel.
Who can claim a name
You need to be a RuneScape member with a skill total of at least 500 in either Old School RuneScape or RuneScape. This matters for anyone starting fresh on Hardcore Worlds. A new character there can’t claim a name until it reaches that skill total, and a character that resets loses eligibility until it gets back above the threshold.
The last name release caused serious technical problems because of the traffic, so this time a queuing system is built into the ‘Check Names’ feature on the in-game display name interface. The same queue runs on the website for players who would rather claim a name there. Jagex says the queue should protect the servers and also make name sniping harder.
A few existing rules still apply:
- Your old name stays reserved for your character for at least 35 days and up to six months, depending on how long you held it. You lose that reservation if you change your name again, if the name is removed from the game, or when the reservation period runs out.
- After a recent name change there is a 28-day cooldown. Redeeming a Bond removes it.
- Support staff can’t help anyone get a specific name, and they can’t check which batch a name will be in.
So if you have your eye on a name, find out which batch covers it once the schedule is posted, and be online at 11:00 UTC that weekday.
Source: Old School RuneScape official news.
