This week brings us a brief respite-a moment to catch our breath between the chaos of Yama's release and the incoming storm of the contract system. While the latest update is smaller in scale, it offers significant quality-of-life improvements, easily get OSRS gold, bug fixes, and exciting tweaks to set the stage for what's next. Let's break it all down and explore why this "calm before the storm" is essential for RuneScape's future.

Yama: The Master of Packs-Community Chaos & Early Impressions

Since the debut of Yama, the Master of Packs, the RuneScape community has been ablaze with theories, tactics, and plenty of fiery deaths. Watching players dive into this chaotic boss encounter has been equal parts inspiring and hilarious. From partners standing on the wrong glyphs to sudden incinerations from orbit, it's safe to say Yama has delivered on the chaos front.

Despite being challenging, Yama has quickly become a community favorite. It's clear that Jagex has created a compelling and mechanically intense boss fight that demands precision, communication, and adaptability. And while this week doesn't bring major content additions, the devs are wisely taking time to fine-tune Yama's mechanics, ensuring the boss misbehaves exactly the way he's supposed to.

Bug Fixes & Quality of Life: Stability Before Expansion

Among the most critical updates this week are fixes to some rather alarming bugs. One notable issue involved ranged weapons granting XP in the incorrect combat style, posing a real threat to one-defense pures. Imagine grinding out your build meticulously, only to gain unwanted defense XP by mistake. Fortunately, that's been acknowledged and resolved.

Phase 3 of the Yama fight also had an odd glitch where the boss would be dragged toward the player unexpectedly. This was hotfixed swiftly, reinforcing Jagex's commitment to maintaining a high-quality PvM experience.

Other tweaks include:

·Yama now spawns in the center of the arena after each transition phase, helping players reorient and strategize between stages.

·A bug causing the Soulflame Horn's settings to reset on equip has been addressed.

·If a player is forcibly logged out mid-fight, Yama no longer becomes inactive.

·Fire rune quantities from Yama have been increased 5x, easing the financial burden on mage-based loadouts.

·Elite Clue Scrolls have been added to Yama's drop table at a 1 in 66 rate.

·Demonbane spell rune costs reduced, particularly fire runes, which skyrocketed in price post-Yama release.

The Fire Rune Surge & Economy Ripple Effects

For those with a hoarder's instinct, the fire rune price spike was a golden opportunity. Historically sitting at around 5 GP each, fire runes surged to 8 GP following Yama's release-the highest in over a year. While that might sound minor, anyone holding tens of thousands of runes likely saw a healthy return on investment.

This economic shift showcases how PvM updates can ripple through RuneScape's markets. Expect further fluctuations as contracts roll out and meta builds stabilize around them.

Yama's Drop Table: Rarity & Rewards

If you're chasing that dopamine rush of rare loot, Yama doesn't disappoint. Here's a breakdown of the current drop rates:

·Pet: 1 in 2,500-Rare, elusive, and a serious flex.

·Oath Plate Armor: ~1 in 600 (solo is 1 in 120 for a piece).

·Soulflame Horn: 1 in 300.

·Forgotten Lockbox: 1 in 31-Often contains a contract.

·Contracts: 1 in 17 drop rate, used to unlock enhanced boss encounters.

·Oath Plate Shards: 1 in 16-Used to craft full armor pieces.

·These rates are still being tuned to ensure balance, especially to prevent power creep when compared with similarly scaled items like Torva armor. Adjustments made last week sought to curb any over-generosity that could impact item value and PvM difficulty.

Contracts Are Coming: What to Expect

The real chaos begins with Contracts, launching the day after this update. These are challenge modifiers that enhance Yama fights, similar in difficulty and prestige to the Awakened bosses from Desert Treasure II. These aren't for the faint of heart-think brutal mechanics, unforgiving damage thresholds, and big rewards for those who prevail.

Jagex will share the full drop mechanics and reward structures next week, but players can already dive into the wiki for a sneak peek. Notably:

·Some contracts guarantee high-tier rewards or increased drop rates (like a 10x pet chance).

·Others serve more as reroll opportunities or loot amplifiers.

·Contracts can now be acquired from drop tables or through exchange systems.Solo or Duo? Jagex Listens to Feedback

Initially, the devs intended contracts to be solo-only content. But community feedback pushed them to reconsider. Now, many contracts can be completed in duos-an essential shift for content designed around cooperation. However, high-stakes contracts (guaranteeing a Radiant Oath Blade or Soulflame Horn) remain solo-only to prevent potential boosting exploits.

This hybrid approach preserves the integrity of prestige items while still promoting group play where appropriate. To clarify:

·Contracts of Acquisition involving guaranteed high-tier rewards must be soloed.

·Other contracts (especially those with tradable or cosmetic outcomes) can be completed with a friend-just make sure you trust your partner, as only the contract owner receives the guaranteed reward.

·However, both players have a shot at unique drops, even if they don't own the contract-a clever incentive to help your friends out.

Rerolling Contracts & Pet Grinding

Here's a particularly cool mechanic: if you successfully complete certain contracts, you'll be rewarded with the same contract again. This creates a compelling loop for skilled players-if you master the fight, you can chain-run the same contract without spending gold, making it ideal for pet hunters or min-maxers.

Speaking of pets, the "Contract of Familiar Acquisition" has been tweaked. It no longer guarantees the pet outright but instead increases your chance tenfold. That's a 1 in 250 chance instead of 1 in 2,500. Combined with the ability to receive unique drops, this makes the contract a must-have for collectors.

Final Thoughts: The Blade is Being Sharpened

This week's update may seem light on surface-level content, but make no mistake-the devs are hard at work refining the systems that will underpin RuneScape's next wave of PvM challenges. The quiet allows bugs to be fixed, drop tables to be tuned, and systems to be polished before unleashing the real chaos.

To quote the devs: "Sometimes you've got to sharpen the blade before swinging it." That's exactly what this update does-stabilizing the foundation before dropping the bombshell that is contracts.

Whether you're hoarding runes, prepping gear for Yama duos, or stockpiling contracts for a crack at that Radiant Oath Blade, RuneScape's current and RuneScape gold direction feels more ambitious and rewarding than ever. Good luck, adventurers-sharpen your blades, sync up with your partner, and prepare to brave the storm.