Old School Runescape has officially acknowledged a player who reached level 99 Fishing by catching only shrimp and anchovies, a challenge that required over two years of dedication and more than 4,300 hours of play
Old School Runescape has formally recognised a player's extraordinary achievement after they reached level 99 Fishing by catching nothing but shrimp and anchovies. The feat, which required a strict adherence to the game's most basic fishing method, has drawn attention from both the community and the game's official channels.
The Challenge and Its Rules
Fishing is a core skill in Old School Runescape, with players typically progressing by upgrading their equipment and targeting higher-level fish for faster experience gains. However, one player, known as Bosby, set out to reach the maximum Fishing level using only the small fishing net, which is limited to catching shrimp and anchovies at designated spots. This self-imposed restriction meant forgoing all other fishing methods and species, making the process significantly slower than standard approaches.
Bosby began the challenge on 11 May 2024, creating an account named OnlyShrimp99. Over the course of two years and three months, he focused exclusively on netting shrimp and anchovies, never deviating from the original plan. The account's progress was shared with the community, and the challenge quickly became a talking point among dedicated players.
Numbers Behind the Achievement
To reach level 99 Fishing in Old School Runescape, a player must accumulate 13,034,431 experience points. Shrimp provide 10 experience points each, while anchovies offer 40. According to Bosby's own breakdown, he caught 275,196 raw shrimp and 257,064 raw anchovies, banking every catch as a record of the journey. The entire process took 4,304 hours of playtime, with the final milestone achieved on 7 August 2026.
The average experience rate hovered around 3,000 points per hour, reflecting the highly AFK (away-from-keyboard) nature of the method and the inherent limitations of using only the small net. Throughout the challenge, Bosby reported meeting other players at the Al Kharid fishing spot, turning the grind into a social experience as well as a personal test of patience.
Official Recognition and Community Response
The accomplishment did not go unnoticed. The official Old School Runescape X account responded by verifying the achievement and sharing a custom in-game style image of a shrimp as a tribute. The post confirmed that the data team had reviewed and validated the account's progress, cementing the run as a legitimate milestone within the game's history.
Community reaction has been largely positive, with many players expressing admiration for the dedication required. The story has also sparked discussion about other unconventional challenges within the game, and how player-driven goals can shape the broader experience. In a similar vein, the importance of official recognition for unique player achievements was highlighted recently when Battlefield 6's refund decision following mode removals demonstrated the impact of community-driven actions on developer responses.
What Comes Next
While Bosby has not confirmed his next major project, he has mentioned the possibility of pursuing level 99 Smithing using only bronze daggers, another highly restrictive and time-consuming approach. Whether or not this plan materialises, the shrimp-and-anchovy run stands as a testament to the creativity and persistence found within the Old School Runescape community.
For players interested in attempting similar feats, the main challenge lies in the sheer time investment and the willingness to embrace repetitive, low-yield activities for the sake of personal accomplishment. The official response from the game's developers suggests that such efforts, when documented and verified, can earn lasting recognition.
In Old School Runescape, experience points (XP) are the primary measure of progress for each skill. The XP required to reach higher levels increases exponentially, meaning that early levels are gained quickly, while the final stretch to level 99 demands a disproportionately large investment of time. Methods that yield low XP per action, such as catching shrimp and anchovies, dramatically extend the journey. This structure is designed to reward both efficiency and perseverance, allowing players to choose between rapid progression and self-imposed challenges that test their endurance and commitment.
