Earlier this week, RuneScape developer Jagex announced that the cost of RuneScape memberships will see an increase starting September 27, 2024. The monthly subscription will rise from $12.49 to $13.99, while the annual premier membership—which includes additional in-game perks—will jump from $79.99 to $99.48.
For players subscribed on a monthly or six-month basis, Jagex has confirmed they can maintain their current “Grandfather Rate” as long as their subscription remains active. However, this offer will not extend to players with annual premium memberships, leaving them subject to the price hike.
In their official statement, Jagex defended the change, stating, “Membership pricing has been unchanged in the last two years despite recent global inflationary pressures.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices have risen 6.1% over the last two years—3.2% from July 2022 to July 2023, and another 2.9% from July 2023 to July 2024. However, Jagex’s new pricing reflects a 12% increase for monthly memberships and a staggering 24% increase for annual subscriptions, which has led to significant backlash.
Although RuneScape can be played for free, much of the game’s content remains behind a paywall. Additionally, players can only maintain a single character per account. For many Old School RuneScape players, seeing the subscription cost rise to within $2 of World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV—both of which allow multiple characters and are considered AAA titles—is becoming a harder sell.
The RuneScape community has voiced its frustration on Reddit, with users pointing to broader concerns since Jagex’s acquisition by private equity firms. One Redditor, ALegendsTale, expressed: “Nah, this one isn’t okay. The price changes in the last few years have gone overboard.” Another user bluntly added, “Inflation my ass.”
Many also noted the timing of the increase, coinciding with the highly anticipated release of the Group Ironman mode. The price hike, coming alongside new content, has fueled accusations that Jagex is capitalizing on player excitement to justify the cost jump.
The September 2024 update will mark RuneScape‘s sixth price increase, with the first occurring in August 2008, when the monthly fee went from $5 to $5.95—a price that, as some nostalgic players recall, was easier to convince their parents to pay.
