RuneScape developer Jagex is re-evaluating its related plans. A major announcement at the recent RuneFest event sparked widespread dissatisfaction among the player community. The plan, titled 'RuneScape: Reborn,' originally intended to split this MMO into multiple new servers with fresh economies and leaderboards, but has now been sent back for redesign.
In their latest blog post, Jagex opened with: "We are re-evaluating the 'RuneScape: Reborn' plan. To be blunt, we made our veteran players feel like they are no longer our focus. This is entirely our fault, something we caused ourselves, so first and foremost, we must apologize to everyone."
Players' concerns are well-founded: The 'RuneScape: Reborn' plan will split RuneScape (excluding the independently operated Old School RuneScape) into two types of servers: Reborn servers and Legacy servers.
Over the years, veteran players have endured terrible monetization models, massive community EXODUS™, and various half-hearted efforts from Jagex. If they want to experience the Reborn servers, which are promoted as the game's reboot, they must start leveling up from scratch.
The promotional video for the Reborn plan highlighted the removal of the "Treasure Hunter" system, promising new players that there would no longer be disgusting pay-to-win content ruining the game environment, but it completely disregarded the feelings of existing veteran players.
This MMO has struggled for years. The developers attempted to save the game through a soft reset, but since the core gameplay revolves around long-term account progression, this idea was completely rejected by the player base.
In the blog post, Jagex reiterated: "The new economy and progression paths hold great appeal for new and returning players. Judging by the reach of this announcement and the expressed interest on social media, its potential far exceeds our initial expectations." (Though I'm curious how many of these expressions of interest will actually convert into genuine Reborn server players.)
However, the studio also admitted: "We failed to make veteran players feel valued in this plan. This isn't just an execution issue; it's because we didn't respect your gaming achievements, didn't cherish your sentimental attachment, and failed to ensure that veteran players would benefit from the influx of new players."
Jagex also specifically listed the core complaints players raised regarding the Reborn plan. (Players responded with classic protest methods, posting numerous screenshots of canceled membership subscriptions.) These include:
- As veteran account holders, you are no longer a priority. New players are being valued more highly than existing veterans.
- If all players migrate to the Reborn servers, the Legacy servers will gradually become deserted.
- Splitting the community will further fragment an already small player base.
- Veteran players, who have simply experienced older versions of RuneScape and committed no wrongdoing, are being treated as having "problematic old accounts."
- Restrictions on interactions between characters on Legacy and Reborn servers result in a poor experience.
- Untradeable items and cosmetics tied to veteran accounts feel completely severed.
- Whether you like it or not, the Reborn plan is forcing you to create a new character to continue playing and keep up with updates.
- Having to repurchase membership for new characters is unacceptable.
The first point basically reveals the essence: The Reborn plan benefits new players and those returning after a long hiatus, but offers nothing but harm to active players. Newcomers who might have joined their servers will be diverted, while veteran players themselves face the situation of having to start new accounts.
In recent years, the value proposition of RuneScape memberships has also faced heavy criticism. Compared to other MMOs, Jagex's membership pricing is relatively high, yet unlike other games, it doesn't support creating multiple characters under a single membership account.
Jagex hasn't provided specific modification plans, only stating that "we are making significant adjustments to the Reborn plan based on community feedback." These adjustments include "introducing more options to preserve the progression achievements of veteran players and reflect their value," as well as "avoiding a complete split within the community." However, figuring out how to address these issues while maintaining the core positioning of the Reborn plan remains a major challenge for the studio.
Additionally, Jagex stated they are "exploring viable solutions related to memberships" to address the issue of players needing to purchase separate memberships for new accounts.
The official statement said: "These issues are interconnected, and our ultimate goal is to remove barriers for veteran players experiencing Reborn content and coexisting with the Reborn servers. This is crucial for us, and we will continue to follow up with optimizations."