Game developers will never, if not very rarely allow the use of third-party programs and sites. From the players’ point of view, it might seem like they’re just wet blankets who don’t let players have their fun. After all, not all players who use go third-party are cheaters; some want to have an enhanced gaming experience when it comes to convenience or performance, especially when gating OSRS gold. However, using third-party programs pose great risks, and they’re never worth the benefits they give – thus the reason why devs and mods refuse to recommend or permit these things. Or do they? Because if the fanbase conspiracies are to be believed, that’s not truly the stance of Jagex. And it might seem like a big accusation to make, but OSRS players have enough “proof” to do so.
A Tale of Two Third Parties
But before we delve into the unconfirmed dark side of these third-party tools, let’s first discuss what they’re for. First is RuneLite. According to their website, RuneLite is a free and open-source client for Old School RuneScape (OSRS). RuneLite has a vast plethora of UI-related functions, such as adding action tooltips, adding timers to hunter traps, discord integration, player indicators, and a bunch of other things that will make a RuneScape adventurer’s life easier. All in all, it somehow brings OSRS to today’s current generation of games, thanks to all the quality of life improvements it offers.
Then there’s OSBuddy, an OSRS Toolkit which gives the user a lot of useful widgets while playing, such as a calculator, skills and experience tracker, and even an overlay of the RSBuddy exchange, allowing you to see how much items are worth. Its paid version, the OSBuddy Pro, offers even more conveniences, such as OpenGL Graphics, Bank Evaluator, Combat Tracker, and many, many more.
Piecing the Screenshots Together
The innovations these third-party tools are enticing. Plus, they don’t seem bad. If they were, we’d be hearing thousands upon thousands of users complaining about their account being compromised after using them. Except they didn’t. Nevertheless, the absence of an actual case doesn’t mean third-party tools are risk-free. Then there’s also the fact that some people have a playful imagination and will make up some conspiracies because certain coincidences lined up.
Summing up the tinfoil hat fiasco that RuneLite and OSBuddy is this Reddit post that is a collage of screenshot snippets piecing together the mystery. It’s a bit of a mess at first glance, so here’s the breakdown:
- Mod Mat K ordering RuneLite to shut down
- A line graph showing the number of RuneLite users over time, with an arrow referring to the point when RuneLite was shut down. Coincidentally (or is it?), the point in question is peak number of users.
- A big update happening right after RuneLite was told to shut down
- On Twitter, a user asks Jagex Support if it’s okay to use OSBuddy. Jagex Support replies that “OSBuddy is our official client,” a statement that they quickly correct. Lots of players suspect it’s a Freudian slip.
- Screenshots of Mod Archie, Mod Wolf, and Mod Kieren all caught with OSBuddy mods on their UI during their streaming sessions.
- OSBuddy eating up memory.
There’s no substantial proof that OSBuddy and Jagex are in bed with each other, or worse, OSBuddy is owned and made by Jagex. However, the coincidences are just so uncanny that theory crafters can’t help but think there is something that they are being kept in the dark about. Well, regardless of whether they are right on the money or not, the fact remains that you shouldn’t easily trust third-party programs. RuneScape conspiracy theorists are more trustworthy than they are.
