The Conjoint Membership Survey has caused the community frustration, anger, and concern – we made major mistakes with this and are truly sorry. Your feedback is heard loud and clear.
This was clumsy and inconsiderate, to say the least. We failed to think this through from your perspective as players. We got caught up in research mode and rushing a project with a research partner. What was intended as a rigorous methodology for exploring an unfiltered range of ideas, you saw as alarming possibilities that appeared to threaten the integrity of the game you love. It contained ideas for consideration that, in the cold light of day, just shouldn’t have been in there for serious consideration. We should have paused to consider this properly and avoided the unnecessary worry and anger this has caused.
Why the Survey Was Conducted
This was an exploratory survey, intended to test a broad range of features and options around subscriptions, including those from other games, to measure how they ranked and compared. The randomness of survey system presented features combinations and prices that, understandably, alarmed many of you.
It was a major misjudgement to include features that suggested we would consider degrading the game experience or impacting gameplay. Even the mere suggestion of ideas like in-game ads, shorter AFK timers, or making improved player support an additional cost undermined your trust in us. While the goal was to gather data about speculative options, we should have realised these topics would feel like a betrayal of the principles that make our games special.
What We’ve Learned
This process has reaffirmed just how much you care about our games, and what you do, or do not, want to see in the future. Your clear feedback has reinforced our commitment to the values that drive our games and guide the decisions we make. Beyond testing very early concepts of various kinds, no firm plans were in place and not a single line of code has been written for any of them. The survey has been halted.
We take your feedback very seriously. We’ve heard you loud and clear, and we want to address the main issues directly:
Ads in Membership
- This was originally to be tested in the context of a lower cost ad-supported membership.
- We will not include in-game advertisements in any regular paid membership.
- While we may explore ads in Free-to-Play (F2P) as a concept in the future, there are no plans for this currently, and we will tread carefully, considering all feedback.
AFK Timers
- Similarly, this was originally included in context of a lower cost membership option, but we will not be reducing AFK timers for any paid membership.
Exclusive Worlds and Pay-to-Win Concerns
- We understand that exclusive worlds or other mechanics that could be perceived as pay-to-win are a major concern. We commit to ensuring that any subscription provides access to the full suite of core game content.
Game Clients & Plugins
- We will not make plugins or features on our official client paid options. We want to reassure you that we do not plan to gate features behind paywalls. This applies to the incredible work done by community developers too on clients such as RuneLite and HDOS.
Player Support
- You want improved player support, and this should not require additional charges. We agree. You’ve given us deep feedback on this, including in the recent player support survey.
- We understand the frustrations players have with existing support systems and whilst we understand any doubt you might have, there are changes already in progress. We want to make sure our baseline support offering meets your expectations, regardless of the content and feedback from the recent survey. We hope to be able to talk more on this soon.
General Principles
- We will never degrade or change the gameplay experience on offer between subscribers.
- We recognise this is a redline, and an essential part of OSRS’ values.
What’s Next?
Moving forward, we will take more time to reflect on how we explore topics like this again. The whole situation is a powerful reminder of what is most important about OSRS. It’s given us valuable insights not just about subscriptions, but also into the concerns that arise when these topics aren’t handled with sufficient care. Any future proposals will be crafted with far greater consideration to ensure they align with the feedback we’ve received and the values that define our community.
Above all, we remain committed to protecting the core principles of our games. This survey was intended as a way to gather feedback, but we recognise that it caused concern and undermined your trust. I want to assure you that we care deeply about our games and the passionate community that makes them thrive. We are determined to learn from this and ensure that OSRS remains the game you know and love.
A Final Note
From the start, we aimed to consult you on what you value most. While this has undoubtedly been a challenging few days for everyone, the process has achieved its core purpose: to gather honest, unfiltered feedback.
This kind of transparency and collaboration is at the heart of what makes our games so special. The game is shaped by its community, and your voices remain central to every decision we make. While we recognise that mistakes were made here, the fact that we’ve received such strong and clear feedback reinforces how deeply you care about this game.
Old School RuneScape thrives because of its community, and working closely with you keeps us moving forward, even when the discussions are difficult.
Thank you for your passion and your feedback that drives us to do better every day.
- Mod Pips, Jagex CEO