Summary of "Why RuneScape’s Best Dungeon Was Deleted"

Summary of “Why RuneScape’s Best Dungeon Was Deleted”

Storyline and Background

The Stronghold Slayer Cave was once the largest and most popular dungeon in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), surpassing many other dungeons combined in size. It was intentionally designed as a central hub for Slayer tasks, conveniently located near a Slayer master (Neve) and a bank.

The dungeon was introduced about nine months after OSRS launched, during a time when the player base was small and development tools were limited. Initially, OSRS lacked many modern Slayer features such as Slayer points, task skipping/blocking, Slayer bosses, and the Slayer helmet.

The development team, consisting of Mod Ash and Mod Reach, aimed to reintroduce these features inspired by the original RuneScape content. However, they decided to implement only the rewards, not the associated quest (“Smoking Kills”).

Gameplay Highlights and Features

The Stronghold Slayer Cave was released in January 2014 as part of a batch of updates that included:

Slayer point system
Slayer reward shop
New Slayer master Neve (based on a real player)
Slayer helmet
The massive Stronghold Slayer Cave itself

The cave allowed players to fight various high-level Slayer monsters only when on the corresponding Slayer task. It was highly efficient for training Slayer due to:

Proximity to bank and Slayer master
Ability to use cannons inside, dramatically speeding up kills
Contained valuable monsters such as Abyssal Demons (dropping Abyssal Whips), Cave Krakens (dropping Tridents of the Seas), and Smoke Devils (dropping best-in-slot magic necklaces)

Over time, the cave expanded with new monsters and boss variants, including:

Cave Krakens and Kraken boss (dropping Kraken Tentacle)
Smoke Devils and Thermonuclear Smoke Devil boss
Gargoyles (initially not cannonable by player vote)
Black Demons and Blue Dragons (added later but without cannon use allowed)

Issues and Player Impact

The dungeon became overpowered and overcrowded, leading to:

Intense competition for spots, especially among cannon users
Toxic player behavior as people fought over limited space
Many players blocking tasks to maximize time inside the cave, limiting Slayer diversity

Jagex realized the cave was not sustainable for the growing player base and that the game was far more popular than initially expected. The cave’s design was originally meant for a short-lived game, not the long-term success OSRS became.

Jagex’s Solution and Dungeon Removal

To address overcrowding and balance issues, Jagex proposed splitting the Stronghold Slayer Cave into multiple smaller Slayer dungeons spread across the game world. These new dungeons would:

Feature specific themed monsters
Allow some to be cannonable and others not
Encourage exploration and variety in Slayer tasks
Reduce competition and overcrowding

The idea was heavily supported by the community, including a popular Reddit mockup by user Gentle Tractor. In April 2017, a poll showed nearly 90% player approval for the split.

The update, called “Diverse Dungeons,” was implemented, drastically reducing the size and importance of the Stronghold Slayer Cave. The cave still exists but is now a small remnant of its former self.

Key Tips and Strategies Highlighted

Using the Stronghold Slayer Cave was once the fastest way to train Slayer due to:
- Cannon usage inside the cave
- Close proximity to bank and Slayer master
- High concentration of profitable monsters
Blocking tasks outside the cave increased the chance of getting tasks inside it.
The introduction of multiple dungeons encouraged players to diversify Slayer tasks and explore new areas.

Sources and Featured Gamers

Mod Ash and Mod Reach (Jagex developers)
Neve (Slayer master in-game, based on a real player named Neve)
Reddit user Gentle Tractor (community member who created a popular visual mockup)
Video sponsor: Delete Me (data removal service)