OSRS Spudworks: DMM All Stars Finale Technical Deep Dive
The Spudworks article (August 20, 2026) details how Mod Hamster and the Infrastructure team ran the Deadman All Stars Finale entirely from a theatre in Chicago using a self-contained LAN setup called 'OSRS-in-a-box'. The setup used a single Dell PowerEdge T160 server (Xeon 6, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD) running Ubuntu 24.04 with minimal microservices (rs2engine, fakeauth, loginserver). Character saves were exported from AWS DynamoDB as JSON and imported into a local DynamoDB Local instance. RuneLite was made to work offline by mirroring files on an Nginx Docker container and disabling TLS verification. DNS hijacking via Dnsmasq redirected all game-related lookups to the local server. The event faced two issues: a RuneLite profile limit (20 max vs 30 competitors) and version mismatches, both resolved on-site.
Key takeaways
- Single Dell PowerEdge T160 server running the entire game locally.
- Minimal microservices: rs2engine, fakeauth (mocked), and loginserver.
- Character saves exported from AWS DynamoDB, imported via DynamoDB Local.
- RuneLite made offline via Nginx Docker mirror + TLS disabled.
- DNS hijacking with Dnsmasq redirected all lookups to local server.
- Two issues: RuneLite profile limit (20 max) and version mismatches, both resolved.
What is Spudworks?
Spudworks is a series of technical blog posts from the OSRS team where developers share behind-the-scenes insights into game infrastructure. The August 20, 2026 edition features Mod Hamster and the Infrastructure team discussing the Deadman All Stars Finale, which was held live from a theatre in Chicago. The key challenge was running the game entirely offline, independent of the public internet, to achieve low latency, venue internet independence, and DDoS protection.
The solution was 'OSRS-in-a-box' — a self-contained LAN deployment of Old School RuneScape running on a single physical server on-site. This included the game engine, authentication, character saves, and all supporting services, configured to work without any internet connectivity.
Hardware and Setup
The team chose a Dell PowerEdge T160 with a Xeon 6 6315P processor, 16 GiB ECC RAM, and a 2 TB SSD. The server ran Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Linux with full-disk encryption (LUKS) using a Yubikey carried separately by a J-Mod. The microservices were reduced to a minimum set: the game engine (rs2engine), a mocked authentication server (fakeauth replacing the real authserver), and a loginserver.
Character saves were exported from the production AWS DynamoDB as JSON files and imported into a local DynamoDB Local instance on the server. This allowed competitors to use their real Deadman Mode characters without needing any internet connection to AWS.
Making RuneLite Work Offline
RuneLite normally requires internet access to download plugins, checksum files, and other resources. To make it work offline, the team mirrored all necessary files on an Nginx Docker container running on the local server. They also disabled TLS verification on the LAN so RuneLite would accept the locally-served files without certificate errors.
DNS hijacking was implemented using Dnsmasq, which redirected all relevant DNS lookups (jagex.com, runescape.com, runelite.net) to the local server. This ensured that all game-related traffic stayed on the local network, never reaching the public internet. Remote access was provided via AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Hybrid Managed Node, allowing the team to deploy hotfixes from the UK if needed.
On-the-Day Issues and Resolutions
Two unexpected issues arose during the event. First, RuneLite has a built-in profile limit of 20 profiles, but there were 30 competitors. This was solved by pre-assigning PCs — each PC only needed to store 10 profiles (3 competitors per PC sharing 2 profiles each), staying well under the limit. Second, there were version mismatches between RuneLite, the game engine, and content that had drifted after the versions were frozen. The RuneLite maintainers provided a compatible build on-site, resolving the issue.
Despite these issues, the event was deemed a success. The 'OSRS-in-a-box' approach proved that OSRS can run independently of the public internet, opening possibilities for future LAN events and competitions.
Questions players ask
What is OSRS-in-a-box?+
A self-contained LAN deployment of OSRS that runs entirely on a single physical server, independent of the public internet. Includes game engine, authentication, character saves, and supporting services.
What hardware was used?+
A Dell PowerEdge T160 with Xeon 6 6315P, 16 GB ECC RAM, 2 TB SSD, running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with full-disk encryption.
How did they make RuneLite work offline?+
By mirroring files on a local Nginx Docker container, disabling TLS verification on the LAN, and using Dnsmasq for DNS hijacking.
What issues occurred during the event?+
RuneLite's 20-profile limit (vs 30 competitors) and version mismatches between RuneLite, game engine, and content. Both were resolved on-site.
What is Spudworks?+
A series of technical blog posts from the OSRS team where developers share behind-the-scenes insights into game infrastructure.
Sources and verification
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