RuneScape Discussion

Mod Jack, Mod Pebble, Mod Timbo, and others
Mods Astar, Bam, Fowl, Kitsune, Mickey, and Stead based on the news post signoff (caveat: signoff isn’t always updated weekly, some may have left prior to layoffs)
Reddit thread, Hooli comment
Theories on what’s happening
The path of private equity
Thoughts on (primarily) the future of RuneScape (3)

(b)Noted decrease in RS3 revenues due to reduction in subscriber count; OSRS saw increase in subscribers including highest concurrent player count

Sale of Jagex by Carlyle Group to CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments closed in May 2024

Final sales price was 584m - notedly lower than Carlyle’s original asking price of 900m

Decrease RS3 share of MTX presumably larger than that given OSRS bonds are included in MTX revenue

Decrease in profits substantially due to impairment of assets (26.7m on Gamepires, 19m on US-based Jagex Holdings Company)

(b)Career Framework launched in 2024 to provide clarity on career progression and lateral opportunities across the studio

Note 4, Section Other Key Judgements notes estimated service period for durables is 12 months

(b)Significant increases in "technical" and “commerical/management” staff (23 and 24, respectively)

Technical staff may be engine related? Possibly Project Zanaris hires were bucketed here?
Commercial/management is administrative (accounting, advertising, legal, HR, etc.)
Speculation on numbers of these staff laid off last week

Hero Pass - September 4, 2023 (cancelled October 6, 2023)
Bond prices increased June 25, 2024
Subscription prices increased September 27, 2024 (also removed Premium grandfathering)
No changes to cost of TH keys (though there were intermittent sales on key packages) but there were 27 more TH promotions in 2024 over 2023 (102, 75)

Message from Mod Keeper stating the team was reshaping how they “design, plan, develop, and operate”

Summer Event hub scrapped and resources directed to permanent content releases - April 16, 2024
2024 Roadmap and Player Survey launched May 14, 2024

Requiem for a Dragon, Osseous, Archaeology Digsite, Sanctum of Rebirth, 110 Mining and Smithing, Gate of Elidinis, Group Ironman Mode, 110 Woodcutting and Fletching

The Ek-ZekKil has had some tweaks to ensure it's on par with other legendary weapons.
The adrenaline cost of Igneous Showdown has been reduced to 50%.
Ashen Vow now provides +12% damage dealt and -12% damage received against your Flamebound Rival, up from +5%/+5%.
Casting Igneous Showdown against your Flamebound Rival now deals an additional 3 hits, each dealing 25% damage on average against your target, instead of increasing the damage of a single hit.
Casting Igneous Showdown against your Flamebound Rival now refunds 15% adrenaline.

New track titled "War's Patience" created for War's Retreat
Rune Goldberg machine has been changed to allow the player to continue to Farm the optimal choice on the given day they log in, until they log out. When you log back in past initial login day the choice will change.
Players can now redeem all held eﬃgy stars and lamps from the Eﬃgy Incubator at the same time.
Seggregation and Zygomite Carestyling now correctly uses the PoF Farming Reputation perk for Unchecked Animals if you have unlocked it.
A shortcut has been added North next to the Fairy Ring in the Poison Wastes. Requires partial completion of Plague's End and 75 Agility.

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Show Data

Episode Title: A Fiscal Massacre
Teaser: Layoffs hit the RuneScape team and Jagex. We discuss who’s gone, why the layoffs happened, and what it means for the future of RuneScape. The 2024 financials are also out and they back up these dire circumstances. Is RuneScape in trouble?
Recorded Date: June 5, 2025
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Executive Producers: Shane, Cireon, and Tanis
Producers: Lemon
Production Code: UPDT-1040-2025-06-05
Hosts: Shane, Tanis, Lemon, and Pyrnassius
Duration: 2:01:05
Editing Notes: None