Previously, when smelting iron ore, there was only a 50/50 chance that it would result in an iron bar (the rest of the time it would just be lost). Now, that success rate has changed so that, at level 15 Smithing, you will succeed 50% of the time, and from level 45 Smithing onwards, you will succeed 80% of the time (gaining an extra 1% chance of success per Smithing level earned in between).

Free players are more likely to have interest in this update, as members have access to rings of forging, a limited-use item that grants 100% success when smelting iron, but this change benefits everybody.

Mod Hew
RuneScape Content Developer