Crafting benefits indirectly from RuneScape gold Sailing-related resources like hemp and cotton. Spinning these materials offers respectable experience and modest profit, making them viable mid-level options.

Hunter saw major expansion with red, blue, and rainbow crabs. These trap-based methods scale well with level and offer a consistent experience with minimal downtime. Rainbow crabs, while requiring higher levels, stand out due to their strong XP rates and valuable secondary materials, making them both profitable and relaxed.

Mining and Smithing: New Ores, Mixed Results

New ores such as lead and nickel introduce alternative mining paths. Lead mining, in particular, offers a competitive experience compared to iron while requiring a slightly higher level. Nickel, on the other hand, is slow and underwhelming for mains, though it may have niche value for iron accounts.

Smithing these ores provides predictable but modest experience, with the ancient forge offering a faster way to process bars into cannonballs. While not groundbreaking, these methods expand player choice and reduce reliance on a single training path.

Gathering Skills: Fishing, Cooking, and Woodcutting

Lantern fishing and squid processing add novelty to Fishing but fall short in raw XP. However, rare drops tied to these activities give them long-term appeal. Cooking benefits from new fish types, with some outperforming older staples in healing efficiency and profitability.

Woodcutting and Firemaking received new tree types, though traditional methods remain superior for cost efficiency. Forestry worlds, however, dramatically improve XP rates when chopping new trees in groups, reinforcing social skilling.

Farming: A Major Win

Perhaps the most impactful addition comes from new hardwood farming patches and tree seeds. Campfire, ironwood, and rosewood trees offer massive experience drops when checked, surpassing even redwoods. With multiple patches available, these trees are an excellent addition to farm runs and a strong incentive for players still chasing Farming 99 or the pet.

Final Thoughts

OSRS heading into 2026 offers more training diversity than ever before. While not every new method reshapes the meta, the sheer number of viable alternatives gives players unprecedented freedom to choose how they train. Whether you prioritize efficiency, profit, or low-effort gameplay, these new methods ensure the journey to your next goal feels fresh-and far less repetitive. Having plenty of cheap OSRS gold can also be a great way to enhance the feeling of novelty.

One of Old School RuneScape's biggest strengths is the freedom it gives players. You can choose to play at maximum focus, sweating every tick for optimal efficiency, or you can take a slower, more relaxed approach while watching a movie, working on a second monitor, or playing on mobile. AFK money-making sits perfectly in that second category, allowing you to earn cheap OSRS gold and experience with minimal attention. Understanding how AFK different activities really are is key, because not all "AFK" methods are created equal.

Understanding AFK Intensity Levels

Low-intensity methods usually require a click every 30 to 60 seconds. You're still present, but your attention doesn't need to be locked on the game. Very AFK methods push that to OSRS GP one or two minutes between interactions, letting you fully focus on something else. True AFK methods stretch to five minutes or more, where you can almost forget the game is running. With those categories in mind, here are some of the best AFK money makers OSRS has to offer.