RuneScape and Old School RuneScape developer Jagex recently sent out a player survey floating a range of fairly extreme potential changes to premium membership, which unlocks the lion’s share of content in both MMOs, such as an “ads included” tier and another “conjoint membership” tier that would cover both games, run $350 annually, and include “enhanced player support” and exclusive world (server) access. Not everyone received the survey, or even the same survey, but various versions were quickly shared online.
Jagex isn’t saying this stuff is happening, only asking players how they feel about the idea. Folks, they ain’t feelin’ good. The fact that the company, which has a history of intrusive microtransactions in RuneScape especially, even proposed these ideas was enough to trigger a storm of fire, brimstone, and canceled subscriptions in both communities.
Jagex has already responded to the outcry with a blog post explaining “why the survey exists” and insisting that “we include controversial or polarising topics in surveys” because they demonstrate “what players truly like, dislike, and feel strongly about.” This reaffirms the hypothetical nature of these changes, and Jagex specifically said that “no final decisions have been made” and “we’re listening,” but this has done little to calm the storm.
“Surveys like this allow us to gather feedback on ideas before they even come close to becoming reality,” Jagex writes. “They act as an important safeguard, ensuring that anything unpopular or misaligned with the community’s values is identified early.
“This approach reflects our commitment to transparency and collaboration. We believe that asking hard questions – while sometimes difficult – helps us stay aligned with your expectations and build a stronger, more resilient relationship with the community. When we include a wide range of options in these surveys, it ensures we’re not just guessing or relying on assumptions about what’s important to you.”
Dozens of hypothetical membership tiers were proposed, some covering RS and OSRS, and others only covering one game. Almost all of the membership tiers proposed – or at least those shared online, which are numerous – would be more expensive than the game’s current offerings, which have already seen multiple price hikes in recent years.
The prices and features discussed vary dramatically between tiers, with pricier ones generally offering more and better stuff. Jagex claimed in its post that “any potential changes to membership options will not impact gameplay fairness or the availability of in-game content,” but that doesn’t quite mesh with some of the features discussed in the survey. Here are a few standouts:
- “Character name reservations”
- “Shorter AFK timer”
- “Specialized member worlds”
- “Pre-verified account recovery”
- “Complimentary Bond” (redeemed for membership time)
- “Additional account security features”
- “Enhanced player support”
- “Enhanced display name features”
- “Mobile-only access” for cheaper tiers
- Added fees for additional characters – $12.49 for an additional member character in one proposed subscription that starts at $9.89 a month when purchased in a yearly lump sum
“The areas being explored in the survey focus on services outside of gameplay, such as account-related features or optional benefits,” Jagex continued. “These are designed to enhance flexibility and provide more tailored options without altering the fundamental experience of playing Old School RuneScape.”
Singling out AFK timers, Jagex added: “Suggestions like shorter AFK timers for non-premium players have been widely criticised. These ideas were included to understand player preferences and were not intended to be concrete plans.”
The idea of tying improved account security or customer support features to pricier membership tiers has been particularly unpopular since players have been asking Jagex for better customer support for years. In its response, Jagex said: “We’ve heard loud and clear that robust customer support is a baseline expectation. Your feedback makes it clear that this should remain a standard part of membership, and we’re taking that into account.”
Players of Old School RuneScape, which has a much larger audience and which has been largely shielded from the monetization that’s overtaken mainline RuneScape, have been especially vocal and exacting. A statement issued last year by Jagex lead Phil Mansell after the company was acquired by yet another corporate owner, promising the company “will not compromise the integrity of our games and there are no intentions of changing our game’s business models,” has been paraded around.
The idea of “in-game advertising,” as Jagex calls it in its post, was quickly pilloried. Here again, Jagex said in its post that “there are no plans to include ads in the base membership or to make ad-supported options a significant part of the game. We understand your concerns, and we are reviewing this feedback closely.”
The proposed cost of playing multiple characters on one account has also prompted unfavorable comparisons to World of Warcraft, which allows for many more characters at once without such a drastic price increase. The two are very different games, but the value proposition isn’t all that difficult to parse.
The backdrop to all of this is a river of screenshots showing players canceling their existing membership subscriptions. Two characters, five characters, a freshly maxed-out character – all kinds of players have come out to protest, with some also reviving the tried-and-true methods of marching through Falador city or, of course, putting nan in the cage. Some popular RuneScape content creators, like the frugal FlippingOldschool, have already put out videos arguing “this would destroy OSRS if Jagex makes these changes,” and I’d be shocked if more videos like this don’t pop up soon.
I played RuneScape for many years, including during the divisive Evolution of Combat era, and have followed and covered Old School RuneScape closely for many more. It is hard for me to recall player backlash of this scale. In the shadow of RuneScape’s microtransactions and the latest corporate handover, this survey’s vision for the game, even if treated purely as a hypothetical, has clearly struck a nerve.
“It may not always be easy, but these conversations are invaluable in helping us make decisions that benefit the long-term health of Old School RuneScape,” Jagex’s response concluded. “We’ll keep you updated as we move forward.”
I don’t really know what else to say here, so here’s a fun story about Old School RuneScape that shows how special this game can be: players gave a big vtuber so many dragon bones that she’s nearly maxed one of the MMO’s most expensive skills.
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