RuneScape Puts Treasure Hunter on the Chopping Block — But Will Jagex Really Kill Its Cash Cow?

This RuneScape vote actually matters (and yes, I’m surprised to be typing that)

Jagex just launched a 14-day community vote that could remove Treasure Hunter-the backbone of RuneScape’s microtransactions-and more than 220 gameplay-benefiting items like XP Lamps, Proteans, Portables and Dummies. As someone who’s watched RuneScape bounce between beloved grind and questionable cash shop boosts since Squeal of Fortune in 2012, this caught my attention because it’s the first time in years Jagex has publicly said the quiet part out loud: pay-to-skip has been eating at the heart of the game.

• Jagex says if the vote surpasses 100,000 votes, Treasure Hunter and 220+ gameplay-boosting items will be removed from sale.
• The studio frames this as restoring “integrity” and focusing on deeper, more meaningful gameplay.
• This would be the biggest rollback of pay-to-win mechanics in modern RuneScape.
• Open questions remain: does the 100,000 threshold mean total votes or “yes” votes? What happens to existing items and keys?

Breaking down the announcement

Here are the basics. The vote runs for two weeks on the RuneScape website. Jagex says that if the vote “surpasses 100,000 votes,” it will remove Treasure Hunter and take more than 220 gameplay-benefitting items off sale, explicitly naming XP Lamps, Proteans, Portables, and Dummies. CEO Jon Bellamy doesn’t mince words, admitting that monetisation “eroded some of the integrity at the heart of RuneScape” by letting players bypass the depth and challenge that make the MMO tick.

That kind of candour is rare from any live service studio, and it lands harder here because RuneScape’s community has been saying the same thing for a decade. If you’ve ever watched someone rocket through skilling with a backpack full of lamps while you manually grind your way through Divination or Archaeology, you know exactly what Bellamy means.

The real story: integrity versus revenue

Let’s be blunt: Treasure Hunter has been a major revenue stream. RuneScape is a $3B+ franchise according to Jagex’s own figures, and a chunk of that came from XP skips and training shortcuts. Pulling the plug would be a seismic shift-and it won’t happen in a vacuum. If Treasure Hunter dies, the money has to come from somewhere: higher membership value (or prices), more robust cosmetics, optional expansions, or a rethought battle pass that doesn’t touch progression. After the 2023 Hero Pass backlash, Jagex can’t afford another misfire. If this vote is a trust play, the follow-through has to be airtight.

There’s also the Old School RuneScape shadow here. OSRS built a culture of polling and hard lines against pay-to-win, while RuneScape (mainline) leaned into convenience boosts and paid progression. This vote is an attempt to bridge that divide. But the phrasing is odd: does “surpasses 100,000 votes” mean total votes, or 100,000 votes in favour? If it’s just total participation, that’s not exactly player-driven decision-making. Jagex needs to clarify the win condition, fast.

What this changes for players (if it actually happens)

Removing Treasure Hunter and those items would reshape day-to-day progression. No more cracking keys for lamps during Double XP. No more stockpiled Proteans to AFK your way through skilling, or Portables to squeeze extra efficiency. Training will tilt back toward methods, gear, boosts earned in-game, and actual time spent. For Ironmen, this barely registers—Treasure Hunter already didn’t touch them—but for mains it’s a cultural reset. Expect the economy to wobble too: any remaining Proteans or Dummies will spike in price until supply dries up, unless Jagex pulls them out of circulation entirely.

And the unanswered questions matter. Do existing lamps and proteans in banks stick around? Will keys convert to something else or be refunded? What’s the plan for events historically paired with Treasure Hunter promos? Will Jagex rebalance skilling XP to account for the removal of paid boosts? If the goal is “integrity,” the studio should publish a clear transition plan and a new progression roadmap, not just yank the slot machine and call it a day.

Why now, and should we believe it?

Industry context helps. Loot boxes and pay-to-win shortcuts have been squeezed by regulation and player sentiment for years. Overwatch 2 ditched loot boxes. ARPGs like Path of Exile built empires on cosmetics-only models. RuneScape hung onto gameplay-affecting MTX longer than most big names, and it’s paid the reputation price. If Jagex truly wants “fair, rewarding, built-to-last” experiences, this is the line in the sand they had to draw eventually.

I’m cautiously optimistic. The CEO acknowledging the problem is a big step; tying action to a public vote is bigger. But this only rebuilds trust if the details respect players’ time and wallets. Don’t replace Treasure Hunter with a grindier treadmill and a pricier membership. Do reinvest in systems, quests, and skill reworks that make progression feel satisfying without a credit card.

What to watch over the next 14 days

• Clarity on the threshold: total votes or “yes” votes? And what percentage is needed?
• A migration plan for keys and existing gameplay-benefiting items.
• Post-Treasure Hunter monetisation: cosmetics, expansions, improved membership, or something new.
• XP and economy rebalance notes so progression doesn’t just get slower—it gets better.

RuneScape is available on PC and mobile with cross-platform progression, which makes this moment bigger than a PC-only patch note. If Jagex executes, this could be one of the rare times a live service MMO meaningfully walks back pay-to-win and comes out stronger.

TL;DR

Jagex opened a 14-day vote that could kill Treasure Hunter and 220+ gameplay-boosting items in RuneScape. It’s a genuine shot at restoring integrity—but the threshold wording, item migration, and replacement monetisation will decide whether this is a turning point or just a clever PR beat. If you care about the game’s future, this is the vote to show up for.