Jagex’s devilish new League is the biggest Old School RuneScape event in years. Here’s how Demonic Pacts work, why this mode matters after a two year break, and what returning players should do to get the most out of it before it ends.
Old School RuneScape’s sixth League, Demonic Pacts, has finally arrived after a two year gap, and it is already pulling in well over 150,000 players at peak just hours after launch according to Jagex. For a game built on slow grinds and long term goals, Leagues are short, explosive sprints, and Demonic Pacts is shaping up to be one of the wildest yet.
If you’ve been away from Gielinor, this is the perfect low commitment way to come back. Here is how Leagues VI works, what the new Demonic Pacts actually do, and how to set yourself up so you do not waste the event’s limited run.
What is Leagues VI: Demonic Pacts?
Leagues are time limited alternate versions of Old School RuneScape. Everyone starts fresh on a separate League world with an empty bank, accelerated progression and a big checklist of tasks that award points. Those points unlock trophies and cosmetics that carry back to the main game when the League ends.
Leagues VI runs from mid April to June 10, 2026, which gives you just under two months to level, experiment and chase rewards before progress is wiped.
Compared to the main game, Demonic Pacts gives you heavily boosted XP rates, infinite run energy and access to powerful relic style buffs. Instead of worrying about efficiency spreadsheets or long term account planning, you are pushed to bounce between content, stack absurd power and see how far you can climb on the point leaderboards.
Starting in Varlamore, not Lumbridge
The first big twist this time is where you begin. Traditional starter zones like Lumbridge and Draynor are locked off entirely. Every League VI character spawns in Varlamore, the new southeastern region that only recently arrived in Old School RuneScape proper.
That change does two things at once. It makes the League a soft tour of the newest content for veterans who may have missed recent updates, and it forces even long term players out of familiar early game ruts. Your muscle memory for cow fields and chickens does not help much when your first tasks involve milking a buffalo or figuring out the local transport network.
If you are a lapsed player this actually lowers the barrier to entry. You do not need to remember old quest routes or meta training spots. Everyone is learning Varlamore together, and the accelerated rates mean you will hit comfortable combat and skilling levels within a single relaxed session.
How Demonic Pacts actually work
Demonic Pacts are the headline mechanic and the main reason this League feels so different from previous ones. The simplest way to think of them is a massive, Path of Exile style talent grid built specifically for broken Old School RuneScape builds.
As you play and complete League tasks, you unlock Pacts that sit on themed branches of this grid. Each Pact offers a strong modifier, not a tiny +1 stat. One Pact might push your ranged builds by making crossbows always hit their max damage. Another might turbocharge resource gathering or automate parts of repetitive skilling. Combined with the League’s inherent XP boosts, these quickly turn a humble iron dagger into something close to a power fantasy RPG.
Crucially, you are not locked into your first ideas. Demonic Pacts can be respecced, so experimentation is part of the design rather than a trap. If you try a glass cannon ranged setup and hate the feel, you can pivot toward tankier melee or lean into skilling focused Pacts without losing your whole run.
For players who enjoyed tinkering with relic loadouts in past Leagues, Demonic Pacts goes much deeper. Instead of a handful of major relic choices, you are picking from an entire web of options that synergise in unpredictable ways.
Why this League matters after a two year gap
Leagues used to be a near annual fixture for Old School RuneScape, but the mode has been on ice for roughly two years. In that time Jagex focused on bigger expansions like Varlamore, the new skill Sailor pitch and core game health.
That long pause built up a lot of demand. The instant surge of more than 150,000 League players at launch is the clearest sign that the community still treats Leagues as appointment events. For Jagex, it is a live test bed for bold mechanics that would be far too disruptive in the permanent game. For players, it is a temporary fresh server that recaptures the feeling of an early 2010s MMO launch without the long term grind.
Demonic Pacts specifically shows how confident the developers have become in bending the rules. Always hit max damage crossbows or near automated skilling bonuses would wreck the main game’s economy and balance. In a League, they are exactly what make it worth logging in.
How Demonic Pacts is driving player activity
From the first hours, this League has pushed players into all corners of the game rather than funneling them into a single efficient route. Task design is a big part of that. Many of the low tier tasks are intentionally silly, like getting a haircut, crying in front of a child or picking cabbages, but they do a useful job of nudging you into different cities, NPCs and training styles.
Mid and late tier tasks lean harder into bossing, high level skilling and account building. Because the XP rates and Pact bonuses are so aggressive, content that usually requires weeks of preparation is accessible much earlier. That leads to busy boss instances, crowded new Varlamore hubs and constant social chatter about which Pact routes feel best for certain activities.
The optional trophy grind also keeps players attached. League points convert into permanent cosmetics and trophies for the main game. Even if you treat the League itself as a throwaway season, the chance to flex a unique League VI trophy on your main account is a strong motivator to log in regularly until June.
Tips for returning and lapsed players
If you are thinking about jumping back in for Leagues VI, you do not need to prepare a lot, but a few choices will make the experience smoother.
First, treat this as a fresh game rather than an extension of your old account. Your main progress does not carry over to League worlds, and that is a good thing. With boosted XP and Pacts, you will replace the power of a traditional mid game account in a fraction of the time.
Second, lean into experimentation with Demonic Pacts early. The temptation is to hoard choices until you have read long theorycrafting guides, but the mode is balanced around trying things, failing and respeccing. Pick a direction that matches your instinctive playstyle, such as ranged bossing, melee slayer or skilling, then refine as you unlock more tasks and see what feels strong.
Third, embrace the task list as your main driver rather than raw XP gains. Following tasks naturally routes you through early money makers, gear upgrades and new areas while handing you League points. If you just grind one activity, you will fall behind players who chase the broad task tree.
Finally, keep the end date in mind. This League ends on June 10, and at that point the Demonic Pacts characters vanish, leaving only trophies and cosmetics behind on the main game. That makes Demonic Pacts a low stress way to sample Old School RuneScape in 2026, but it also means you should pace yourself. A couple of evenings a week is enough to see the mode’s best ideas and secure permanent rewards.
Should you play Leagues VI if you have never tried OSRS?
If you are completely new to Old School RuneScape, Leagues VI is chaotic but surprisingly friendly. The boosted XP, infinite run, condensed early game and guided tasks all remove classic pain points that normally filter out new players.
You will not get the full sense of the main game’s slow progression, but you will see a huge cross section of its skills, bosses and regions in weeks instead of months. If you like the feel of the combat, the social atmosphere and the click heavy skilling during Demonic Pacts, rolling a permanent account afterwards will feel far less intimidating.
Leagues VI: Demonic Pacts is not just another seasonal event. After a two year gap it is a loud reminder that Old School RuneScape can still reinvent itself without betraying what makes it special. Whether you are a maxed veteran chasing trophies or a lapsed player looking for a focused way back in, this is one of the best windows in years to step back into Gielinor.