The celebrated MMORPG RuneScape is heading into a significant moment. Developer Jagex has launched a community-wide vote asking players whether the game’s “Treasure Hunter” microtransaction system should be removed entirely. If at least 100,000 votes are cast in favour, more than 220 items currently purchasable (including experience lamps, skilling boosts, and wildcards) will be banned from sale. This move signals a potential change to the game’s monetisation strategy.
Real-money transactions in digital entertainment are now common across multiple sectors: streaming platforms, mobile app purchases, eSports event passes, and iGaming services all rely on players spending via online payments. For example, the online casino platforms found here often support rapid account funding, a broad range of payment methods, and accessibility from any device. In this broader payment-driven environment, RuneScape’s vote arrives when users expect embedded spending options as standard features within software services.
Jagex’s statement laid out that the Treasure Hunter system and its associated items had, in their experience and view, moved the game away from the achievement-driven progression long-time players really value. The poll is structured plainly: each account can cast a single “Yes” vote in favour of removal, and if the threshold of 100,000 is reached, Jagex will retire Treasure Hunter, remove more than 220 direct-progression items from sale, and leave only capped bonus XP purchases and cosmetic options in its store. The developer characterised the old system as a “challenge” to community trust and retention in the long term.
As soon as the vote opened, there was a swift player response. Within hours, the tally passed several tens of thousands and pushed toward the 100,000-vote goal at an accelerated pace. The decision to hand this choice directly to the player base is rare in this part of the gaming industry. Historically, monetisation systems like this are changed internally rather than put to a community referendum.
The history of Treasure Hunter offers key context. First introduced in 2014 as part of the shift toward a hybrid free-to-play plus optional-purchase model, the system initially offered keys for sale to access random rewards and mini-games. Over time, in-game items like experience lamps, skill-training dummies, and wildcards became available to purchase, thus effectively offering shortcuts to level grind. Promotional campaigns increased visibility of the system and raised player attention to its role in the economy. This created a divide between players who prefer traditional gaming and grinding, and those who are willing to pay for convenience.
That divide is also reflected in the contrasting identities of RuneScape’s two major versions. The older sibling title Old School RuneScape has consistently emphasised skill progression tied to in-game time investment, with few shortcuts available. Many long-term RuneScape 3 players argue that the introduction of microtransactions gradually altered that identity, turning parts of the economy into something closer to a purchase ledger than an achievement ledger. By putting the vote in players’ hands, Jagex appears to acknowledge that the game’s future might depend less on cut-price shortcuts and more on player-driven progression.
If the poll succeeds, Jagex has committed to launching a year-long “integrity roadmap” to address broader design challenges: user-interface clutter tied to daily challenge mechanics, skilling progression pacing, and the layering of content updates over older systems. The item-removal list is detailed and consists of experience lamps, skilling outfits, wildcards, and other components formerly available for direct purchase that will disappear from the store. Players who already bought those items will be offered a use-up window before the retirement of the system. The timeline indicates that the company views this as the start of a long-term shift rather than a one-off fix.
Some community voices express caution. While the move is framed as major, the voting mechanism prompts questions about how well it represents the full player base: only a “Yes” vote is offered, so abstaining will count as implicit “No”, which is a point critics highlight. A great deal of legacy players describe the initiative as overdue, and have pointed out that past adjustments to microtransaction pricing and interaction did very little to alter their perception of progress-vs-purchase tension.
During the 2021 Jagex sale dispute, decisions surrounding RuneScape’s direction extended far beyond design and further into the business side of the studio. Now, more broadly, this vote highlights how game-studio relations with their communities are evolving in live-service titles. Rather than purely top-down monetisation decisions, studios such as Jagex appear willing to engage players in structural changes. The announcement emphasises that the company is willing to accept short-term revenue impact in favour of what it describes as longer-term player retention and trust. In a sector where optional purchases are often built into every update, a reversal of this magnitude is unusual.
For both players and industry watchers, the outcome will be a telling one. If the poll clears the threshold, Treasure Hunter will be retired, and one of the longest-running online games will remove a major microtransaction pillar. How the game performs after the change (whether in player count, engagement metrics, or revenue stability) will also speak volumes. Indeed, the long-term value of this new initiative will depend on how subsequent updates and the roadmap are received by players.
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