The Norwegian producer turned a nearly decade-long gaming grind into an unexpected festival highlight in Tokyo.
Alan Walker brought a very personal victory to the Main Stage at Ultra Japan on Sunday night (Sept. 20). Midway through his set in Tokyo, the masked producer stopped the music, pulled out his phone, and told the crowd he was about to finish something he’d been working on for almost ten years.
“About almost a decade ago I started a journey in a video game called Old School RuneScape,” Walker said, as his character appeared on the festival screens. “Today, I’m basically maxing my account and have my phone right here.”
A few moments later the final skill hit level 99. Walker looked up and added, “Might mean nothing to someone, but it means so much to me. I’ve been grinding like crazy the past decade. That is max level in a video game I’ve been playing for ten years.”
The crowd cheered as the achievement registered. Later that day, the official Old School RuneScape account posted a simple message of support: “Gz on maxing your account @IAmAlanWalker at Ultra Live!”
For those less familiar with the long-running MMORPG, “maxing” means reaching the highest level in every skill the game offers — a process that routinely takes thousands of hours. Walker has quietly treated the game as his constant companion on the road, logging progress between flights and festival dates. By late 2025 he was already close, with combat skills finished and only a couple of the more time-consuming disciplines remaining.
The Ultra Japan moment feels like a natural extension of Walker’s recent crossover with the game. Last summer at Tomorrowland he surprised fans by dropping a remix of the classic RuneScape track “Sea Shanty 2.” That performance led to a full collaboration with developer Jagex: Walker co-wrote music for the game’s new Sailing skill, including the tracks “Scape Sail” and “A Sailor’s Dream,” and even visited the company’s Cambridge headquarters. He later sat down for the official OSRS podcast to talk about balancing the grind with a global touring schedule.
Sunday’s onstage level-up turned what is usually a solitary milestone into a shared festival moment. In a career built on atmospheric drops and masked anonymity, it was a rare, unfiltered glimpse of the person behind the production — and a reminder that even headlining DJs sometimes need to finish what they started, no matter how many people are watching.
