Orion.ps: Rise, Rebrand and a Tarnished Return

 

 

 

What was Orion — and what came before

The fledgling RSPS domain orion.ps did not emerge from nothing. It was born from the ashes of a previously popular server known as RuneSaga — a name many in the community still recall with a mixture of fondness and frustration.

RuneSaga distinguished itself from typical RSPS servers by offering an entirely custom world. It boasted over 20 unique bosses, more than 30 custom armour sets, an innovative “invention” skill, cosmetic overrides, free-to-play mounts, and custom ranks and items. Players could unlock mounts and items through normal in-game progression — without needing to pay. The server was also among the few with full integration into the official client toolset: HD graphics support, compatibility with popular RuneLite-style clients, as well as features like weekly updates, a comprehensive collection log, achievements, a “luck” attribute, and even critical-hit mechanics.

At its peak, RuneSaga regularly hosted 500+ players online and maintained an active Discord community boasting over 5,500 members. For a time, it felt less like a private server and more like a parallel Rune-scape universe — immersive, community-driven, and continually evolving.

Then, on 24 March (year seldom specified, but well remembered among players), RuneSaga abruptly shut down. The reasons were never officially disclosed. The silence left a void and many unanswered questions: why the shutdown? What happened to the loyal community?

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A new dawn — but with no refund

After a period of inactivity, the community witnessed the rebirth of the project — now under a new name: Orion.ps. New figures appeared on the scene: “owner” known as Effigy Swiper (a prominent YouTuber), alongside a collaborator named Wet Wizard. On paper, this looked like a strong rebrand. Perhaps a second chance — but without any official explanation for the shutdown or any offers of donation refunds, or compensation for previous supporters.

This absence of transparency — no statement to the community, no refunds, no outreach — raised eyebrows. Many longtime players felt betrayed. Others questioned the ethics of rebooting under a new banner while disregarding past contributions.

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Legal pressure and looming crackdown

What makes this transition even more precarious is external legal pressure. According to public records, the UK anti-piracy agency Web Capio — which cooperates with the specialist law-enforcement unit PIPCU at City of London Police — has in the past seized domains that hosted or distributed copyrighted content without authorization. (cityoflondon.police.uk)

Web Capio describes itself as a provider of “bespoke anti-piracy services based on quality and speed.” (Publishers Association) Through cooperation with PIPCU and other authorities, it aims to identify and remove illegal domains, often via domain seizures — especially when the site is alleged to host or distribute unlicensed content. (Wikipedia)

Allegedly, the relaunch under Orion.ps has attracted the ire of rights holders (in this case, the original game owners), who have reportedly enlisted Web Capio to take action. As a result, any content associated with Orion.ps — such as videos by its promoters (Effigy Swiper, Wet Wizard) — is now at risk of being automatically taken down by anti-piracy enforcement. By all indication, their primary YouTube channels (built up over a decade) may have already been wiped or shut down.

The message sent to the community seems chillingly clear: any creator associating with Orion.ps risks losing their presence and revenue overnight.

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Why the rebrand is unlikely to survive

Even beyond legal pressure and community distrust, Orion.ps faces a more mundane but powerful challenge: economics. Running a project like this at scale isn’t cheap — especially if you want to maintain high-end content and staff.

If the main owner (believed based in Florida, USA) is subject to U.S. corporate taxes, there are significant obligations. While the state of Florida itself does not impose a personal income tax, corporations operating there face a corporate income tax. (QuickBooks)

Assuming Orion.ps operates as a corporation — and assuming earnings subject to tax — a portion of revenue would go toward state taxes, and additional obligations may arise under federal U.S. tax law. (PwC Tax Summaries)

Now consider expenses. Hiring high-profile personalities like Effigy Swiper reportedly costs roughly USD 15,000 per month; Wet Wizard around USD 12,000; a top-tier animator like “Jesse” might demand USD 5,000; a senior developer perhaps USD 8,000. Total monthly payroll already approaches USD 40,000 — before accounting for hosting costs, server maintenance, security, potential legal costs, marketing, and other overhead.

Without the ability to monetise through YouTube content (given the takedowns), without a loyal playerbase ready to pay — and with the spectre of domain seizures looming — it’s difficult to see how Orion.ps could be financially sustainable. In short: the economics look brutal, and collapse seems almost inevitable within a month or two.

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A warning to creators — and to players

For content creators thinking of associating with Orion.ps — this revival is a minefield. You risk losing years of hard work, subscribers and monetisation for content that may be wiped out overnight. For players seeking a “second chance” with their old community: proceed with caution. No refunds, no guarantees, and a shaky foundation.

The rebirth of RuneSaga under a new name might have seemed promising — but with transparency missing, legal risk rising, and financial burdens mounting, what looks like Phoenix rising from the ashes might be heading straight for the pyre again.

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What we still don’t know — and what needs confirmation

• No official explanation has been published for why RuneSaga shut down on 24 March.

• It’s unclear whether Orion.ps is officially registered as a company in Florida (or elsewhere), or what its precise corporate structure is. That affects tax liability significantly.

• No public audit or financial statement has been shared; we don’t know their actual revenue, or how many players they’ve attracted post-rebrand.

• Claims regarding creator contracts — USD 15,000/month for one, etc. — are unverified and come from community whispers.

• It remains to be seen whether anti-piracy enforcement (via domain seizure or takedown) will definitively succeed against Orion.ps — but given precedent with other piracy sites, the risk is non-negligible.

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Bottom line

Orion.ps may market itself as a “revival” of a beloved server, but beneath the fancy promises lurk serious problems: lack of transparency, no goodwill restitution to former donors/players, mounting legal risk, and dubious financial viability. For creators, the warnings are loud and clear. For players, nostalgia may not be enough — and for watchers, it may all collapse again, faster than it re-appeared.