Old School RuneScape’s Name Release began on November 5, and Jagex has now published the full batch schedule. About 38 million names are being freed up. Batches go live at 11:00 UTC every weekday until the last one on November 30, 2026.
Batch schedule
Each batch covers names starting with the listed characters:
- 5 November: A (already released)
- 6 November: B
- 9 November: C
- 10 November: D
- 11 November: E, F
- 12 November: G, H
- 13 November: I, J
- 16 November: K, L
- 17 November: M
- 18 November: N, O
- 19 November: P, Q
- 20 November: R
- 23 November: S
- 24 November: T, U
- 25 November: V, W, X
- 26 November: Y, Z, 0, 1, 2
- 27 November: 3, 4, 5
- 30 November: 6, 7, 8, 9
Players who want a ping when a batch drops can sign up in the “Apply Role” channel on the official OSRS Discord.
Which names are free, and who can claim them
The names come from abandoned characters. A character must have been inactive for at least two years. It must also be permanently banned, have never been a member, or have only paid for membership with bonds, with that membership ending at least five years ago.
To claim a name, you now need to be a RuneScape member with a skill total of at least 1200. You can claim through the in-game “Check Names” function or on the website. Jagex’s support team can’t help anyone get a particular name, and it can’t tell you which batch a name is in.
Players making characters for Hardcore Worlds should note that these characters aren’t eligible until they meet the same requirements. If a Hardcore character resets, it again needs the required skill total before it can claim a name.
Fighting name snipers
Jagex says it has learned from the 2017 release. It has already banned more than 11,000 characters it believes were being prepared for name sniping, and it is acting against more. The anti-cheat team will watch for unusual behaviour throughout the release. Jagex also made unspecified changes on the website side, and it is keeping the details private on purpose.
Both the game and the website use a queue. Jagex can lengthen or shorten the wait depending on traffic and suspicious activity. If bad actors grab names, Jagex reserves the right to release those names again.
Name changes and reservations
Your previous name stays reserved for your character for at least 35 days, or up to six months, depending on how long you had it. You lose the reservation if you change your name again, the name is removed from the game, or the period runs out. Anyone who changed their name recently faces a 28-day cooldown, which a Bond can remove.
Source: Old School RuneScape official news.
