Update: There has been an update at the crab. By which I mean "there has been a calamity at the Crab," as Old School RuneScape studio Jagex announced.
It would seem that in just days, three different players on Hardcore accounts, which lose their Hardcore status if you die a single time, have somehow been killed by the game's new gemstone crab boss, which was specifically designed to deal next to no damage to players. Worse still, two of those people were playing in Hardcore groups, meaning their fellow one-lifers can now bully them with crab jokes until the end of time.
"We'd like to remind all HCIM players that the max hit of the Gemstone Crab is one, so please be careful!" Jagex warns.
"Honestly, that’s an impressive feat, dying to this crab seems almost impossible," one Reddit user responds, under a post hailing the battle achievements of our new crab overlord.
Original story:
The long and storied history of using crabs to train combat skills while AFK in RuneScape has now led to a momentous update in Old School RuneScape's new Varlamore expansion. The newly released gemstone crab, the crab to end all crabs, is downright glorious.
For eons, OSRS players have scrounged together small but meaningful combat XP by occasionally clicking on crabs. Rock crabs, sand crabs – any crab will do. Carcinization suggests crabs are the perfect vessel, and OSRS provides strong evidence of that. There's just one problem: that's a few clicks. It's only a few clicks, which is far less intensive than high-XP training, but it could be easier.
Modern problems require modern solutions. Enter: the gemstone crab. It's a mid-level, communal boss with infinite health, it deals virtually no damage to players (some people have reported dying to the crab, but they are non-believers), and it appears like clockwork every 10 minutes at readily accessible locations. The only reward for fighting – rather, attacking – is a very small payout of gems to the 16 players who deal the most damage per crab spawn.
As the OSRS Wiki notes, if you fail to meet this benchmark, you're told that "your understanding of the gemstone crab is not great enough to mine its shell." I'm pretty sure this is how religions get started, and it looks like we're well on our way.
"Pat the crab, hold the crab, cherish the crab, forfeit all mortal possessions to crab," advises Reddit user MsGuggy, declaring the gemstone crab "the best addition of 2025."
"Been smacking this crab all day while working," replies CauliflowerHealthy20. "Good update 10/10."
"Crab is love. Crab is life. I think I love this crab more than myself," says Biggsmustache0131, who should love themselves more.
"Only in OSRS can you see massive afk crab introduced in the game and whole community going 'HELL YEAH,'" observes Emergency_Ride_9276.
In a more structured analysis, Professional-Dream-6 reckons "Gemstone Crab is a WIN" because it provides a chill way to train combat that doesn't pit players against each other, or punish players who deal way more damage, with limited spawns. The gemstone crab is eternal, and it welcomes all to its cast. All are equal in the eyes of crab.
Like all good gods, the crab deserves a name, some people decided. "How about Gemstone Crab," the scholar Nasreth7 proposed. Bold. I like it. "Geminem," suggested DarienGM. My pick? "Gemma," per isthenisnt. Apparently I'm not the only one: "GEMMA PET NOW," demands FaenedAngel. Come on, Jagex. Add a mega-rare Gemma pet.
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