RuneScape is celebrating Easter this year by asking players to choose a side in the conflict between winter and spring. Free players will be able to fell evil holly trees to help bring in springtime, while members have the additional choice of chopping down hawthorn trees to side with winter. Players who participate in the event will receive an exclusive holiday item.

In addition, the RuneScape community management team will be running competitions throughout the Easter weekend. From April 22-25, the player who chops down the most holly and hawthorn trees will receive a RuneScape goody bag. Players are also being asked to guess at the total number of trees that will be felled over the course of the event.

Since yesterday's launch of RuneScape's clan update, more than 33,000 clans have been registered in the free-to-play game! Here are all the numbers straight from Jagex:

"It's only been a day since the clan support update was released and more than 250,000 of you have already pledged your allegiance to a clan. RuneScape now plays host to over 33,000 new clans and an astonishing 10,000 people an hour are joining a clan!"

The update gives clans a real presence in the game and includes a host of new features, such as individual clan camps, chat channels, clan customizations, clan websites and rated Clan Wars.

RuneScape has unveiled their new Clan Support Update. This update is designed to give clans a real presence in game. The update is now live and offers new tools to help players organize and administer their clans, as well as ways to advertise their clans and show allegiance to them in the game. New features include:

• In-game clan support
• Additional clan chat channels
• Clan camp
• Greater customizations of clans
• Clan web pages
• Rated clan wars

Check out the RuneScape official page for full descriptions on all the added bonuses for you and your clan.

Titan books has announced the release of the latest Runescape novel. T.S. Church's new book Runescape: Return to Canifis is the follow up to his last novel, Betrayal at Falador.

The novel is currently on sale in North America and Canada and can be purchased here.

It will be released in the UK and Europe on March 22nd and can be purchased here.

Read the full prologue to Runescape: Return to Canifis at the Titan Books official site.

Forget the holiday of love, RuneScape is celebrating this weekend with a Valentine’s Day Massacre! The event will be held Feb. 12-13 in the newly restored Wilderness. Jagex is looking to host the biggest Player Killing Run-in ever seen, so join in on the fun and see if your clan has what it takes to survive.

If you'd prefer to avoid the bloody massacre, you can participate in the Quartermaster's Market and sell your wares to other players who are heading toward the fight. You can also take a guess at the number of deaths that will occur this weekend for a chance to win a RuneScape goody bag and a Wilderness T-shirt.

Today marks the return of the Wilderness and Free Trade to RuneScape! The features were removed from the game in 2007, but they've been restored after an overhwhelming 91% of players voted to bring them back.

If you're not familiar with these features, Jagex has published a couple beginner's guides to get you started. The Wilderness is a dangerous PvP environment where you can earn or lose items based on your skills in battle. Free Trade is the ability to trade with other players without limits.

For more details on the return of these features and the game's 10-year anniversary, check out our recent interview with Lead Designer Mark Ogilvie. He also outlines other updates that are coming to RuneScape this month in today's "Behind the Scenes" article.

Ten years. Many MMOs are lucky to last half that, but RuneScape has been chugging along since 2001. In addition to reaching this impressive anniversary milestone, Jagex recently held a referendum asking players if they want to see the Wilderness and Free Trade return to the free-to-play game. More than 1.2 million votes were cast in just under three weeks, and an overwhelming 91% of players said they wanted these features back in RuneScape. Jagex listened, and they'll be implemented on Feb. 1.

We got the chance to sit down with Lead Designer Mark Ogilvie to reflect on the past decade and the response to the referendum. Keep reading after the jump for his thoughts on the past, present and future of RuneScape!

The players have spoken! Free Trade and the Wilderness will be returning to RuneScape on Feb. 1 after more than 91% of players voted to restore the features to the game. Over 1.2 million votes were cast in just under three weeks. Jagex launched the referendum on Dec. 24 to help celebrate the game's 10th anniversary.

The features were removed from the game in 2007 to combat botting, gold farming and item scamming. Starting Feb. 1, players will once again enjoy unrestricted free trade and the Wilderness will become a dangerous place where players can kill each other for their items.

As Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard puts it, "I firmly believe that the Wilderness represents the ultimate risk versus reward experience in any MMO and the incredible support for the campaign demonstrates that our players agree. It has been fantastic to watch the community mobilise in support of the update and we can now introduce these features certain in the knowledge that they are what our community want."

You can read more about Free Trade and the Wilderness after the jump.

Happy anniversary, RuneScape! The free-to-play MMO turns 10 years old today, and Jagex is celebrating by hosting balloon drop parties throughout the game. All you need to do is follow the clues to find out when and where these events will be held. Players will also be hosting their own parties, and you're invited to join in on the fun. All the details can be found in the official 10th anniversary community thread.

In addition, Lead Designer Mod Mark has shed some light on what players can expect to see in January. Try out the new King of the Dwarves quest while you prepare to face the high-level God Wars boss with level 80 drops. Groups of mid- to high-level adventurers will also want to fight the seasonal Hati wolf to earn some gloves that give double combat XP for 10 hours.

Also, players can still vote on whether they'd like to see the Wilderness and free trade return to the game. The features were removed in 2007 to combat botting, gold farming and item scamming, but Jagex is aware that many players would like to see them reintroduced in RuneScape. Players can vote until Jan. 14, so let your voice be heard!

RuneScape turns 10 years old next month, and Jagex is celebrating by giving away $10,000 every month in 2011! For each day in a given month that your account has membership credit, you'll be given one entry into the drawing. Each month, Jagex will choose 10 winners and give them each $1,000! If you're not currently a member, you can enter for free by mailing in a postcard.

In addition, Jagex is currently asking players to vote on whether they'd like to see the Wilderness and free trade return to the game. The features were removed in 2007 to combat botting, gold farming and item scamming, but Jagex is aware that many players would like to see them reintroduced in RuneScape. Players can vote until Jan. 14, 2011, so let your voice be heard!