If you’ve ever played RuneScape, you know the game isn’t perfect, and the devs have tried to remedy that with numerous changes over the years. This time, it feels a bit more personal, since the developer has launched a new RuneScape poll that could decide the fate of Treasure Hunter, the game’s long loathed microtransaction system. This system has been criticized by fans for a long time, and is cited as the biggest blemish on the MMO overall.
WEll, it seems like Treasure Hunter’s days may finally be numbered – if the players deem it so. The poll, which went live on the official RuneScape website this week, asks players to weigh in on many key proposals that could reshape the game’s approach to its admittedly aggressive monetization tactics. So what’s in there, you ask?
For one, it’s the exciting notion of retiring Treasure Hunter completely, replacing it with more transparent systems, or reworking it into something more rewarding and less intrusive – especially for your wallet. Considering the game has been running for over two decades, this feels like a make-or-break moment, and a genuine chance for the community to decide what’s what. Let’s explore some more.
This Vote Could End 10 Years of Heartache
Treasure Hunter was first introduced in 2014, replacing the older “Squeal of Fortune” system. At the time, Jagex pitched it as a fun, optional way for players to earn rewards like XP lamps, gear, and cosmetics. But for many long-time RuneScape fans, it represented something darker: the beginning of the game’s slide into pay-to-win territory.
As years went on, this very Treasure Hunter feature was nothing else but a synonym for the fatigue we all felt, when it comes to microtransactions. It therefore didn’t take long before the inevitable happened: The community revolted. Well, parts of it did.
The argument was that this feature undermined the core spirit of what RuneScape is: the grind. You know, working hard, earning your levels, and showing off your achievements, which actually meant something back in the day, we’d argue.
Now in 2025 though, Jagex seems ready to address that legacy – about time, we say. The new poll is refreshingly straightforward, asking players whether Treasure Hunter should be retired, reworked, or kept as is, which, let’s face it: Nobody should want.
If – if – the vote passes in favor of removal, it would mark one of the boldest moves Jagex has dared since the return of Old School RuneScape, and could be a huge win for players who’ve been calling for change for nearly a decade.
A New Chance to Rebuild Player Trust
Let’s get one thing straight, RuneScape has been through the ringer, we know – from the divisive launch of RuneScape 3 in 2013, and the subsequent resurgence of the old school RuneScape, it has gone through many highs and lows indeed.
The treasure hunter debate, however, has been a point of contention since its inception, and everyone secretly – or not so secretly – hated it, we’re sure.
That’s why this poll feels so important for all RuneScape players, because it doesn’t feel like pure marketing fluff or lip service; it’s a rare moment where Jagex is putting real power in the hands of its players, and it’s so refreshing to see, we have to admit.
And depending on the outcome, RuneScape could set an example that other MMOs would do well to follow – that listening to your community can be a better business model than selling them keys to a digital chest. Or opening an auction house – sorry, we couldn’t help it.
