RuneScape Removes Pay-to-Win After Players Vote

A beloved video game just proved that sometimes the best way forward is admitting you took a wrong turn.

RuneScape, the fantasy roleplaying game that's been running since 2001, saw a massive surge in players over the 2025 holiday season. The reason wasn't just nostalgia for the 25-year-old game. It was something more meaningful: the developers finally listened.

Back in 2012, RuneScape added microtransactions on top of its subscription fees. Players could pay extra for cosmetic upgrades or items that affected gameplay. For years, the gaming community pushed back against what felt like double charging and unfair advantages for players with deeper pockets.

The company's new CEO, Jon Bellamy, decided to try something different. In October 2025, RuneScape put the question directly to its players: should we reduce the impact of these controversial features, even if it hurts our profits?

The poll needed 100,000 votes to pass. It hit that number on the first day.

Matthew Holland, who worked as a designer at RuneScape from 2008 to 2014, watched the transformation unfold. He saw firsthand how the tension between modernizing the game and respecting long-term players shaped every decision. The monetization questions his team wrestled with back then are still relevant now.

The Bright Side

The surge in active players suggests the gamble is paying off. Gaming news platform Polygon called the move "something most games wouldn't dare." In an industry where companies often ignore player complaints in favor of profit, RuneScape chose a different path.

The financial risk is real. Some key monetization features remain, like Bonds that let players buy game time and trade it for in-game currency. But the company explicitly said they're willing to "restore" the game "even if it hurts the bottom line."

Whether returning players stick around remains to be seen. Some may be coming back from 2012, drawn by nostalgia for what the game used to be. Others might have been loyal players all along if not for the aggressive billing model.

The move sends a powerful message to an industry often criticized for prioritizing profits over player experience. When a 25-year-old game can find new life by respecting its community, it suggests there's still room for trust and authenticity in gaming.

Sometimes growth means going back to what made you special in the first place.