Runescape Faces Backlash Over $12 Price Tag for Single-Use Balloons
The long-standing free-to-play MMORPG Runescape has recently revamped its player-owned housing system, introducing more options and customization for players. To enhance this experience, the developer added some paid cosmetic packs for homes. However, these packs, priced at $10 or more, were limited in a way that frustrated many players, prompting the studio to reconsider after receiving significant feedback.
On August 3, the developer unveiled several new paid cosmetic bundles designed for the updated housing feature. According to the studio, these bundles, including a $12 pack containing balloons, bunting, and other decorations to celebrate the game’s 25th anniversary, functioned “a little differently” than previous cosmetic offerings. The key distinction was that these packs included a “set number of furniture items.” This meant players were purchasing a specific quantity of balloons rather than an unlimited supply. If players wanted more, they would need to buy additional packs.
Unsurprisingly, this approach did not sit well with a large segment of the community, who viewed these new cosmetics as one-time-use items and expressed concerns over the significant shift in the game’s direction. While many players were open to the idea of purchasing cosmetic decorations for their homes, they were unhappy with the execution. They wanted these bundles to include blueprints, allowing them to craft additional items instead of being forced to buy multiple packs to fully decorate their spaces. Some players were frustrated that their characters couldn’t craft such basic items, while others worried about future storage issues, fearing that deleting items would prevent them from being re-crafted later.
The backlash was swift and overwhelming, leading the studio to address the situation the very next day. Jagex’s lead community manager acknowledged the community’s concerns, stating, “There’s been some back and forth in the community on our first ever drop of POH Marketplace cosmetics. We’ve been having a chat, and we agree that there’s a better way to offer these items up.”
Going forward, cosmetic bundles for housing will no longer include one-time-use items; instead, they will come with blueprints for crafting copies. The studio also announced that it would refund players who had purchased multiple packs and would prevent future sales of such packs as they rolled back their initial plans. Additionally, blueprints will be added to the recently released cosmetic packs.
“Player-Owned House marketplace items are still very much a new area that we’re exploring,” the community manager noted. “But it’s important to note that none of these explorations are setting a direction in stone from the get-go. Per-item sales for POH won’t be part of that direction, and future POH offerings will be approached with a ‘buy once, unlock forever’ mentality.”
While many players are pleased with the studio’s quick response, some are frustrated that it took a significant community outcry to prompt these changes. It does seem surprising that anyone at the studio thought this approach would be well-received. Nevertheless, it appears that players will no longer be required to purchase multiple packs of balloons just to fully decorate their in-game homes.
