Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
RuneScape’s early game rebalance hit Thieving hard cutting AFK times from early to high levels. The community reaction was immediate. But just days later, Jagex deployed a coldfix that partially restored AFK gameplay and clarified their direction for skill design.
In this episode of RSBANDBUpdate!, we break down what actually changed, where AFK Thieving now stands, and what the new expectations should be for low-intensity skilling going forward. More importantly, we examine what this rapid feedback loop signals about the future of RuneScape’s ongoing rebalances.
In this episode:
- What Monday’s Thieving update really did
- How the Thursday coldfix adjusted AFK times
- Whether AFK skilling still fits RuneScape’s design
- The XP vs. GP vs. AFK triangle
- What players should realistically expect next
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:43 - Nerfing AFK Thieving
10:52 - How bad Thieving was early in the week
21:48 - The Thursday Cold-fix that fixed things
37:42 - Predictable AFK
50:48 - Predictability vs. Randomness
1:01:32 - AFK as a progression reward
1:12:00 - Thieving Triangles
1:24:50 - Skill tenets
1:29:38 - Achievements
1:30:54 - Help wanted
1:31:34 - Pick of the Week
Full show notes: update.rsbandb.com/2026/02/rsbandbupdate-1077-thieving-trigonometry
Join our Discord: https://update.show/discord
Join our friends' chat: BitsBytes
RuneScape’s early game rebalance hit Thieving hard cutting AFK times from early to high levels. The community reaction was immediate. But just days later, Jagex deployed a coldfix that partially restored AFK gameplay and clarified their direction for skill design.
In this episode of RSBANDBUpdate!, we break down what actually changed, where AFK Thieving now stands, and what the new expectations should be for low-intensity skilling going forward. More importantly, we examine what this rapid feedback loop signals about the future of RuneScape’s ongoing rebalances.
In this episode:
- What Monday’s Thieving update really did
- How the Thursday coldfix adjusted AFK times
- Whether AFK skilling still fits RuneScape’s design
- The XP vs. GP vs. AFK triangle
- What players should realistically expect next
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:43 - Nerfing AFK Thieving
10:52 - How bad Thieving was early in the week
21:48 - The Thursday Cold-fix that fixed things
37:42 - Predictable AFK
50:48 - Predictability vs. Randomness
1:01:32 - AFK as a progression reward
1:12:00 - Thieving Triangles
1:24:50 - Skill tenets
1:29:38 - Achievements
1:30:54 - Help wanted
1:31:34 - Pick of the Week
Full show notes: update.rsbandb.com/2026/02/rsbandbupdate-1077-thieving-trigonometry
Join our Discord: https://update.show/discord
Join our friends' chat: BitsBytes
