Mod Mark's here to tell us all about what's coming up in September.

Balthazar's Big Raffle

Before we talk about the future, let's talk about now: Balthazar's Big Raffle is already in-game, offering a multitude of sought-after prizes including Golden Godswords, Warpriest Armour and Deathtouched Darts.

Until the 2nd of October you'll be eligible for two raffle tickets each day: one from Balthazar, who can be found by the Burthorpe lodestone, and an extra ticket either from Gilly Willikers the clown (he's usually capering around lodestones throughout Misthalin and Asgarnia) or by completing daily challenges. There's a different prize for each day of the week, and whether you spend your tickets or save them is up to you. Check out the raffle prizes on offer here.

Don't worry if you're not a winner. For every five tickets you use, you'll receive one piece of Gilly's clown outfit, and all unsuccessful tickets will bestow a small prismatic star...just in time for Double XP Weekend!

Double XP Weekend

Maxing's the dream, but many of us still have a few long-neglected skills blocking the way. Well, it's time to show them some love, and we've got your back: it's Double XP Weekend!

The XP extravaganza will last from 12:00 UTC Friday the 15th until 12:00 UTC Monday the 18th of September. So round up those lamps, stars and proteans you've been saving; mid-month is their time to shine.

Invention batch 2

It's the moment you've been waiting for. Invention batch 2 is finally coming to RuneScape, and with it, a collection of new devices to help you in-game. Want a mechanised siphon? An equipment separator? No problem.

We're also introducing a brand new concept: machines.

Machines allow you to turn your items into things you want. Transform logs into planks, high alch your items or tan your stockpile of hides into craftable leather; the opportunities are endless. The best bit? They're AFK, and even progress offline. Just like farming, these machines carry on working even when you're not logged in. All you need to do is keep them topped up with divine charge.

You've spoken to us on social media and the forums, and we've listened. Here are just a few changes we've made for Invention batch 2:

We've removed inspiration.

Augmentors are now tradeable.

Augmented items now have benefits beyond level 12. (bigger drain rate reductions and increased chance of perk activation)

...Now get out there and start tinkering!

Ninja Updates

With all this going on, make sure you don't miss the Ninja team's latest updates – most notably to the Motherlode Maw.

We’re adding plenty of items: chimes, memory strands, VIP slayer tickets, butterfly jars, scrimshaws, XP crystals, ghostly essence and shattered world anima, and giving you a new lore book explaining the origins of Maw and gemstone dragons. We've also listened to your feedback and are removing the items that aren't useful to you.

You can also expect a new boss collection log to tell you how many unique drops you've collected from each boss, as well as some hefty new content additions for free players.

Special mention: the Motherlode Maw update comes courtesy of Mod Meadows, who worked on it during his TAPP time. Be sure to congratulate him on his hard work! He's also thrown in a few special surprises for anyone who takes the trouble to find them.

Treasure Hunter

We’re placing hoppers near lodestones around Gielinor. Keep your eyes peeled this month for some special, modified apples, available on Treasure Hunter, and put them in the hoppers for either Farming or Invention XP – you choose!

Got some spare protean cogs lying around? Use them on the hoppers and they’ll get a 50% Invention XP boost!

RuneFest

It’s that time of year again. Grab your party hats, ‘Scapers: it's RuneFest 2017!

There are still a few tickets left for the big day, so if you’ve been sitting on the fence, now’s the time to take the leap. Get your ticket now, while you can!

This year’s the biggest RuneFest ever, and we can’t wait to share all the cool stuff that we have in store, all framed with a classic ‘Back to Our Roots’ theme. Check out the schedule and find out what’s on.

Even if you’re not joining us, you can still keep track of all-things-RuneFest with our RuneFest web app, or watch the live stream on Twitch from both stages. Want to really immerse yourself? Try our funky, multi-channel Facebook feed.

Whether in person or in spirit, we can't wait for you to join us and be amongst the first to discover what's next for RuneScape.

Poll improvements

We're committed to tying up loose ends in the coming months with Unfinished Business, but we need to do it right, and that means putting you and your needs first. That's why we're improving our poll system with better interfaces and descriptions, so that you can more easily have your say.

Enjoy!

I hope you're as excited as we are. Wooters out.

Mod Mark

What is a Month Ahead article?

Month Ahead is a sneak peek at the planned game updates that we intend to launch in the coming month.

However, this is only a plan - not a promise - that a particular update will be released in a particular way or at a particular time. To get you the highest quality updates as quickly as possible, we usually keep on tweaking and testing right up until the moment before release, so sometimes things change or take a bit longer than expected. We aren't afraid to change our plan if necessary, as we will never launch an update before it is ready.