The MMORPG RuneScape received negative reviews on Steam after the developers introduced an unpopular battle pass. Now Jagex is backtracking, and the community rejoices.
What has happened recently with RuneScape? The MMORPG introduced a new battle pass on August 29, 2023. This “Hero Pass” went live on September 4 and was supposed to be renewed every 3 months. In addition to free unlockable rewards, there was to be a premium version with better rewards.
However, the pass was received poorly by players: Steam was flooded with negative reviews for RuneScape, which had previously been rated very positively. Long-time players criticized the direction the MMORPG was taking.
After developer Jagex had initially half-heartedly announced they would listen to player feedback, they apologized in a blog post dated September 8.
Officials say: “We messed up”
What does Jagex say? In the latest update, the officials admitted to having “messed up”. The introduction of the “Hero Pass” frustrated many in the community: “We made a significant miscalculation, and we are sorry.”
They added that they need to think about it and learn from it. Jagex now wants to urgently patch the game to remove the unpopular pay-to-win features.
What comes next? First of all, the creators want to remove the particularly unpopular features “as soon as possible”. Then they would have time to process feedback in detail and redesign the “Hero Pass”.
In detail, this means:
- Purchasing “Hero Pass” levels and Underworld emblems will be disabled. This has already happened via a hotfix.
- Content buffs from the “Hero Pass” are to be removed as a cold fix over the next week.
- XP buffs from the “Hero Pass” are to be moved from the premium track to the free track over the next week.
- The premium pass will only include cosmetic items and consumables.
Additionally, the “Daily Challenge” system, which had been removed in favor of the “Hero Pass”, will be reintroduced. Work is underway for its reinstatement, but it may take several weeks before the system goes live.
Those who have already purchased the pass can contact customer support for a refund.
Why not abolish the “Hero Pass” altogether? Jagex gives three reasons for this:
- Patching the problem areas is simply faster than removing an entire branched game system.
- Hundreds of thousands of players have already completed missions from the “Hero Pass” and received rewards. It would be unfair to take that progress away from them now.
- Additionally, they are optimistic about being able to manage the issues.
Community praises Jagex for listening
How does the community react? They are celebrating in a subreddit dedicated to RuneScape under a post tagged “Supreme Victory”. In 999 comments (as of September 10, 2023, 15:45), players discuss Jagex’s reaction.
- CatsAndFacts seems a bit snarky: “I am truly shocked. I would love to know how many accounts have unsubscribed because of this. It must have been significant enough to make such a hard backtrack.”
- Rida_Dain praises: “I am seriously impressed that they not only listened to almost all feedback but actually plan to bring back the daily challenges.[…]”
- 5-x is hopeful: “I am impressed with the quick and resolute turnaround. I hope Jagex works with the community to make the “Hero Pass” a better successor to the “Yak Track” that everyone will be satisfied with.”
However, Jagex could not smooth over all waves with their apology. Some players feel the changes are not sufficient, while others point out that the real problems are deeper than the “Hero Pass”. A fundamental change is needed in how such updates are introduced. (via Reddit).
Overall, the tone in the comments is rather positive. Players are pleased that the makers of RuneScape actually listen to their community and admit mistakes. Whether Jagex can really save the “Hero Pass” remains to be seen.
Others directly take it a step further and completely abolish the system:
Steam: DOTA 2 renounces the battle pass – prefers to improve the game now
