Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Final Fantasy 14: Evercold
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 Evercold aims to respect your "limited free time" with the death of daily roulettes
Armored tank warrior walking in cathedral
Action Games Meet the dev who quit Rockstar Games during GTA 6 fever to make a single-player MMO-like
Arc Raiders screenshot of a helmet lying in sand
Third Person Shooters Tarkov chief is right: Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter for casual people, that's why I like it
Crimson Desert hero with eyes shut
Open World Games Crimson Desert is just more proof that waiting to play games is the best
Dawnfolk strategy game grid
Strategy Games Meet the Assassin's Creed dev who left Ubisoft to make the weirdest city-builder you need to play
Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred demon in lava
Diablo Diablo 4 streamer pulverizes new Lord of Hatred expansion's difficulty tier in 17 hours, complains
Watch Dogs Legion grandma in glasses
Games Police visit 91-year-old woman who missed check-in calls only to find her "playing video games"
Tangy TD developer Cakez appears emotional after learning of the game's sales
Games Solo dev breaks down in tears after opening Steam and learning his game made $250,000 in a week
Mel staring head-on with one red eye in Hades 2
Hades After 300 hours, Hades 2 has me back under its spell with a console launch and secret new game mode
Arc Raiders Bastion chasing a player
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders makes huge Expedition changes, bonus skill points now free but earned by dealing damage
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games Elder Scrolls Online director still secretly plays the MMO, even after he left the studio
Kliff resting by a stream in a forest in Crimson Desert
Action RPGs Crimson Desert players are literally running out of enemies to fight
Screenshot from Dwarves: Glory, Death, and Loot showing some pixelated fantasy dwarves facing down a menacing purple dragon.
Roguelike Games Indie dev who lives in a village of 1,000 people stunned as over 250,000 Steam users buy his roguelike
Kliff fighting a Black Bear warrior in Crimson Desert
Open World Games Crimson Desert players keep losing boss fights to a haunted book that forces you to read it
A thief looking down a scope in Marathon
FPS Games After 80 hours of Marathon, I'm glad Bungie didn't try to please everyone
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. MMO Games
  3. Old School RuneScape

2 years ago an MMO player locked himself in a virtual cage of his own making – "after 10,000 hours" he is finally free

News
By Austin Wood published 17 June 2025

Old School RuneScape challenge modes strike again

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Old School RuneScape Smite collab
(Image credit: Jagex / Hi-Rez / YouTube via Xbox)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
6
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

In April 2023, YouTuber and Old School RuneScape player Agile Tom knowingly signed up for a challenge that, even among MMO players who enjoy self-imposed limitations and long grinds, stood out as patently absurd. The best evidence of this is the simple fact that it wasn't until this month, on June 13, 2025, that he finally completed that challenge "after 10,000 hours," per his triumphant finale video. I say finale, but Tom quickly began another grindy challenge.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Tom decided to make a new Old School RuneScape (OSRS) account and limit it to an incredibly small portion of the game's world – a Chunk, per the rules of the Xtreme OneChunk game mode from fellow mad lad Limpwurt. He could not leave this space, a tiny sum of land, for any reason until he finished all the challenges possible within it.

For this Chunk rule set, that includes things like completing all available quests and achievements, clearing the highest-level challenges tied to any available skills, and acquiring all the unique items and monster drops possible.

Article continues below
You may like
  • Final Fantasy 14 1,200 hours in, Final Fantasy 14 fan trying to beat the MMO under RuneScape's Ironman rules clears biggest obstacle yet
  • Armored tank warrior walking in cathedral Meet the dev who quit Rockstar Games during GTA 6 fever to make a single-player MMO-like
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong bug suspended in silk strands Hollow Knight: Silksong community crosses 4 weeks cheering a mad lad fighting Savage Beastfly with ungodly custom rules

Ordinarily, Chunk playthroughs start with a roulette of some kind, with players relying on a combination of a client plugin and external tools or websites to select and track chunks. But for his starting chunk, Tom deliberately chose Chunk 4,919, the site of Old School RuneScape's first raid, the Chambers of Xeric.

As a raid, the Chambers of Xeric is naturally balanced for high-level players with strong gear and skills. Tom entered the raid site at base level, fresh out of the game's tutorial, while playing as an Ironman account that can't accept items from other players. This is where the 10,000-hour sentence comes in.

The Xeric Chunk is typically regarded as a "Death Chunk" by fans of this rule set. If you happen to randomly roll a Death Chunk as your next home, you're sure to spend thousands of hours there completing demanding, likely RNG-riddled grinds. That's where Tom started, tackling some of the hardest content in the game with absolutely nothing to his name. The equivalent would be going to the gym for the first time and loading six plates on the bar. You can't leave until you do 10 reps.

Old School RuneScape trailer

(Image credit: Jagex)

The good news is that Chambers of Xeric uses a lot of different skills, not just combat skills, so Tom was able to find his footing even in episode one of this Chunk series. The bad news is that this means there were a lot of skill challenges to clear before finishing this Chunk. To make things exponentially worse, acquiring every item in the raid – like prayer scrolls, weapons, robes, and a notoriously rare boss pet – can take thousands of hours even on a strong, non-limited account, making Tom's journey especially dire.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

This is primarily why this journey took more than two years. Tom not only had to finish the Xeric raid collection and all accompanying challenges, he had to do it after – and sometimes during – the arduous process of building up a new account under extremely suboptimal and limiting conditions. By the end, he had an enviable stash of raid loot including dozens of valuable but useless prayer scrolls – toilet paper, he came to call them – stuffed in the bank.

With zero quests completed, lopsided gear combining some of the best weapons in the entire game with the kind of noob getup that would get you mocked at school lunch tables, and two pet drops, Tom ended up with one of the most unique accounts in the history of OSRS. He managed to clear the raid 2,000 times – aided but not simply carried by teammates, as Ironman accounts can do this group content – as a Chunk player, which feels kind of like seeing a 100-pound first-timer walk into the gym and squat six plates.

"I actually think this is the most insane chunk anyone has completed," reads a comment from Chunk enthusiast Fray. "Amazing work. You've spent longer in this chunk than I have on my entire account - insane."

You may like
  • Final Fantasy 14 1,200 hours in, Final Fantasy 14 fan trying to beat the MMO under RuneScape's Ironman rules clears biggest obstacle yet
  • Armored tank warrior walking in cathedral Meet the dev who quit Rockstar Games during GTA 6 fever to make a single-player MMO-like
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong bug suspended in silk strands Hollow Knight: Silksong community crosses 4 weeks cheering a mad lad fighting Savage Beastfly with ungodly custom rules

"One of the most incredible chunking achievements to date, congratulations," says OSRS creator Lunitar.

"Genuinely one of the greatest achievements of all time," adds OSRS community pillar Soup.

"Two years of grinding has led to this moment," Tom said of the finale, finally free to explore new Chunks for the first time in years (and promptly roll another, smaller time-sink Chunk). "A moment that, at some points, I thought never would happen."

"Games and studios are being cancelled because of content that is perceived to be 'woke' or representative," new RuneScape CEO reportedly said in internal meeting explaining decision to stop or shrink the MMO's Pride events.

CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Social Links Navigation
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 1,200 hours in, Final Fantasy 14 fan trying to beat the MMO under RuneScape's Ironman rules clears biggest obstacle yet
 
 
Armored tank warrior walking in cathedral
Action Games Meet the dev who quit Rockstar Games during GTA 6 fever to make a single-player MMO-like
 
 
Hollow Knight: Silksong bug suspended in silk strands
Action Games Hollow Knight: Silksong community crosses 4 weeks cheering a mad lad fighting Savage Beastfly with ungodly custom rules
 
 
Kliff from Crimson Desert asleep.
Open World Games Crimson Desert fan "played 56 hours straight and slept 8" on repeat to earn Platinum trophy, and Pearl Abyss is worried
 
 
Bethesda
The Elder Scrolls From Arena to Skyrim, Elden Ring streamer beats Bethesda's entire RPG series "first try" with 0 damage
 
 
Oblivion Remastered
The Elder Scrolls This Oblivion Remastered fan has now spent 300 days following an Imperial Palace Guard "until I can loot his armor"
 
 
Latest in MMO Games
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games ESO vet hates when people think the MMO is a "WoW clone" since "you're not going to have fun at all"
 
 
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games Elder Scrolls Online director calls his cancelled MMO a "missed opportunity" for Bethesda and Xbox
 
 
A Final Fantasy 14 character poses with the Senor Otter Pack
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 players mourn the cute otter backpacks they were briefly given in error
 
 
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games Elder Scrolls Online director still secretly plays the MMO, even after he left the studio
 
 
A mysterious figure shows up in Final Fantasy 14's Evercold reveal
Final Fantasy Yoshi-P hoped we wouldn't notice, but Final Fantasy 14 Evercold is inspired by Norse mythology
 
 
Final Fantasy 14: Evercold
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 Evercold promises to scrap the MMO's 2-minute meta and change jobs for the better
 
 
Latest in News
Pragmata Diana hacking in the Shelter with her arm outstretched
Third Person Shooters Capcom teases that Pragmata might have a future as a franchise
 
 
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 peasants drinking at a table
RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 studio insists AI used in "early stages of production" only
 
 
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games ESO vet hates when people think the MMO is a "WoW clone" since "you're not going to have fun at all"
 
 
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal showcase screenshot shows Edward Kenway at the wheel of a ship.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced grants my wish and cuts PS3-era online nonsense
 
 
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 soldier squatting down
RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 devs won't confirm Lord of the Rings game, but do affirm a new RPG
 
 
Andy Serkis as Snoke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars Movies Andy Serkis says playing Snoke in The Force Awakens was "a massive challenge" because he was constantly "evolving"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Pragmata Diana hacking in the Shelter with her arm outstretched
    1
    Capcom teases that Pragmata might have a future as a franchise, after at least 6 years in development hell pays off with 1 million sales in 2 days
  2. 2
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 studio insists AI used in "early stages of production" only, dodges questions about translator allegedly replaced by AI but says "we do not see AI as a substitute for human work"
  3. 3
    Elder Scrolls Online vet hates when people call the MMO a "WoW clone" since "you're not going to have fun at all" if you play it like Blizzard's game
  4. 4
    Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced grants my wish and cuts PS3-era online nonsense, but now it's been replaced with the modern online nonsense of Shadows
  5. 5
    Andy Serkis says playing Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was "a massive challenge" because the humanoid was "evolving as we were going along"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...