Jagex will be removing the long-standing Duel Arena from Runescape and will be replacing it will Het’s Oasis. OSRS players are hopeful they will get the same treatment too.
The year 2021 is ending, and a lot of games are providing gamers with various new content or goodies before the month of December ends. OSRS and Runescape are no exception. Jagex has recently revealed that the iconic Duel Arena will be removed from the game and will be replaced by the new Het’s Oasis. Players can participate in rebuilding the ruined area and earn OSRS gold from helping out. They can also receive various rewards based on player progress and community progress. Though Runescape has confirmed that the arena will be removed from their version of the game, OSRS has made implications that it will follow suit.
What is the Duel Arena?
The long-standing Duel Arena is an ancient site located northeast of Al Kharid in the Kharidian Desert. In order for players to reach the area, they can rub a ring of duelling to teleport to the arena or by using a lodestone towards the Al Kharid area and head north to reach their destination. The arena is a place where players can earn Runescape gold and OSRS gold by battling other people.
Once in the arena, players can challenge other players in the vicinity. The dueling gamers will have to set different parameters for the battle before they commence the duel. The combatants will also have to place a bet or stake to show other players how much they will get from winning the duel. Gamers who participate in a duel will be teleported to the main stage of the arena. Meanwhile, other players can watch the duel from the arena walls and throw rotten tomatoes which have no damage.
The Duel Arena has born witness to thousands of player duels from big streamers to casual Runescape players. The area has also been the site of various tournaments prior to the 2011 patch which removed the feature. After the Wilderness and free trade update, holding tournaments in the arena was removed as they found the overall experience underwhelming.
Destruction of the Duel Arena
The long-running arena will be destroyed by what devs called a cataclysmic event. It is presumed that this event will be a large earthquake that will destroy every building or structure in the vicinity. Due to the destruction of the area, players will no longer be able to engage in PvP duels against each other for gold. Gamers will now have to say farewell to the old system of betting duels in the Kharidian Desert.
After the destruction of the Duel Arena, players will now have to band together to start rebuilding the ruined area. The rebuilding project doesn’t aim to restore the arena but to replace it with a new set of structures that have different functions than the previous ones. This is where Het’s Oasis sets in.
The New Het’s Oasis
The rebuilding process will be a time-limited event called the Oasis Restoration. Starting from January 4th, players will be able to partake in the restoration of the ruined area and turn it into a new bustling paradise. Gamers will complete many daily tasks as a community for two weeks to complete the whole construction of Het’s Oasis. Participating in the project will provide players with various rewards such as the “Of the Ruination” title, the desert-themed armor “Warrior of Het,” Gator shoes cosmetic override, and a crocodile pet named Chomper.
New mini quests and skillings will be available after the event patch. The new mini quests will be permanent quests that are connected to the current Elder God Wars narrative. These quests will be called “Eye of Het I” and “Eye of Het II.” There is no further information regarding these missions other than the first quest will be available on January 4th while the second one will be available on January 10th.
There will be new skilling methods available once the Het’s Oasis update rolls out. These new solo contents will be permanent even after the time-limited event ends. The first skilling will be an Agility course where players will explore the ruins of the destroyed Duel Arena. The second one is a Hunter method where players will ride a crocodile to hunt scarabs around the oasis. There will be a total of six new scarabs for players to find with each requiring a certain level of hunting to catch. The third new skilling will be a Farming method where players will simply tend to flower bushes and harvest new kinds of flowers. These new flowers will require certain farming levels to be harvested.
Though fans will surely miss the Duel Arena and its glorious history, players are still excited about the brand-new content coming. However, players will have to wait for an exact confirmation from Jagex whether Het’s Oasis will be coming to OSRS too, and not just Runescape. Previous changes to OSRS’ Duel Arena imply that it will be replacing or removing the content too. Hopefully, Het’s Oasis will come to OSRS too since fans of the old version of the game will feel left out if they don’t get to experience the brand-new content and earn OSRS gold from the events.
Originally published December 30, 2021. Updated December 31, 2021.
