Mod North, CEO of Jagex since March of 2025, announced Jagex’s upcoming plans to tackle their monetization problem in Runescape 3. The company plans on introducing a few temporary changes, reffered to as “experiments”, which include cosmetic-free worlds, disabled Treasure Hunter, and the deletion of non-natural leveling methods such as combat dummies and proteans. These microtransactions (MTX) getting removed from Runescape 3 would mark a huge step in the direction of creating a Runescape 3 that is actually friendly to players. (Shocking!)
These changes will be rolled out at various times throughout the remaining year: July will mark the temporary deletion of Treasure Hunter, the face of MTX in RS3. Treasure Hunter, infamous for its key purchase monetization methods, unnaturally introduces not just items into an economy at an arbitrary rate, but also gives players access to XP and skilling resources they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get in a short amount of time.
Treasure Hunter getting removed from Runescape 3 would provide players with the feeling of playing an MMO where one’s accomplishments are equal across the board, instead of being something that can be bought. Although this won’t be the case, since RS3 has been plagued with the effects of these purchases for years, now.
In August, during a double XP event, players will be unable to use anti-gameplay skilling items like proteans and combat dummies. The essence of these items is that you can use them anywhere to gain XP, but don’t have to actually engage with the skill you’re gaining xp in to level. To picture the mass effect of this, imagine every player in RS3 smacking a dummy for combat XP at a bank instead of being forced to adventure against mobs for the same outcome: anti-gameplay in every sense of the term.
In September, Jagex will introducing a mass drop of cosmetic items that will, presumably be purchasable without use of Treasure Hunter. Half of this feels like Jagex trying to make cosmetics less predatory, and half of it feels like Jagex trying to make cash on retired content in the same breath as trying to reduce MTX. Is that irony or hypocrisy?
Jagex has stated that these changes in no way signal that they are trying to outright change their monetization methods, and players can expect buyable XP and cosmetics in the future, even if some of these changes stick permanently.
