Overview of Current Player Sentiment
- Players of Old School RuneScape are actively engaging in review bombing on Steam, spurred by a controversial membership survey.
- Many reviews criticize the game using phrases such as “corporate greed”and “price gouging,”highlighting widespread dissatisfaction.
- This backlash has resulted in the game’s rating plummeting to “Overwhelmingly Negative,”as the community unites in protest.
In light of recent developments surrounding an unpopular membership survey, Old School RuneScape has become the target of relentless review bombing by frustrated players. This backlash has dramatically lowered the game’s review status on Steam to an “Overwhelmingly Negative”label, reflecting the community’s fervent discontent.
Review Bombing: A New Form of Protest
The RuneScape community has a long history of voicing their opinions through various channels, ranging from membership cancellations to large-scale in-game protests, often seen in iconic locations such as Falador Park. This time, however, players have turned to review bombing—a method employed by numerous gaming communities in recent years—as a more direct form of dissent against Jagex’s management decisions.
An examination of the Steam page for Old School RuneScape reveals the anger of the fanbase manifested in negative reviews. While some players have chosen to cancel their memberships, others actively share their frustrations through ratings. Over the past month, only 17% of reviews have been positive, primarily due to the membership survey misstep introduced by Jagex. In comparison, RuneScape 3 has maintained a “Mixed”rating, indicating that the review bombing is particularly concentrated on Old School RuneScape.
Impact of the Membership Survey Controversy
The overwhelmingly negative reviews predominantly highlight the issue surrounding the membership survey. Players frequently use terms such as “corporate greed”and “price gouging,”encapsulating the underlying frustration within the community. Given its status as one of the longest-running MMORPGs, many believe RuneScape can navigate this turbulent period; however, restoring trust will pose a significant challenge for Jagex.
As Old School RuneScape ushers in 2025, the situation feels particularly disheartening. Following a series of refinements in the preceding years, 2025 was anticipated to be a transformative year, especially with the potential introduction of Sailing, the game’s first new skill in years. Instead, the discord between the community and Jagex casts a shadow over these exciting developments, emphasizing what many perceive as an unnecessary misstep by the developer.
Continuing to engage constructively with their player base may be vital for Jagex to recover from this setback and reinstate the excitement surrounding future updates.
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