Summary
- The 2025 Pride events for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape have been cancelled.
- Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy argued that it was to protect the developer and focus development on "what players wanted".
- Devs refuted this, claiming that the content was ready to go and wouldn't have taken much time to implement.
Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy, who was appointed in March, recently posted on the developer's internal message board that the 2025 Pride Month celebrations in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:RuneScape and Old School RuneScape have been cancelled.
For years, Jagex has run Pride Month events and LGBTQ+ charity drives, even hosting in-game marches. So, when the announcement was made that 2025's celebrations had been cancelled, there was backlash from within the studio. Developers argued that the work had al𒁃ready been done and wouldn't take much to imple🔯ment, refuting Bellamy's claim that the decision was made so that they could instead focus on "what players wanted." Some devs even volunteered to finish the work in their own time, but were denied the chance.
Dragon Age Fansཧ Are Celebrating Pride Month By Romancing The Best Character
One fan has shared an ado🐎rable a📖necdote about how the Iron Bull was his gay awakening.
In response, Be♍llamy hosted a Q&A session with staff, answering many of their complaints. He argued that the decision was made to "ensure꧒ the business is protected against those that would wish us harm".
"I own it, I'm fully responsible for it," Bellamy said (as reported by ). "I understand that RuneScape is precious because it is a safe space, it is an escape from reality, and the reality that we find ourselves in is changing. It is getting stranger, more troubling, less moral, I would argue. Games and studios are being cancelled because of content that is perceived to be 'wokeꦺ⛎' or representative.💧 The pendulum is swinging back in a way 𒅌we didn't expect."
Tales Of Pride Will Return, But Without Any New Content
While Old School Rune🧸Scape's annual Pride mini-quest has been cancelled for 2025, Tales of Pride will return in RuneScape - it just won't have any new con🎐tent.
The recurring event, which has featured in the game every year since 2022, tasks you with collecting tales from LGBTQ+ characters across Gielinor to earnܫ several cosmetics, including the Proud title. Howev𓆏er, with no new additions, it will be the same as it was last year, with the same rewards.
Zenimax similarly came under fire from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Elder Scrolls Online community for alleg꧃edly🥀 doing "nothing" to combat anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry.
"The content is now controversial in a way it didn't used to be, and that controversy now brings more risk than it did previously, r🎃isk that I'm personally responsible to protect against," Bellamy explained 🐼of the decision.
Developers Called On Management To Keep Pride Events Last Month
In May, several developers within Jagex penned a letter to management, calling on them to "make a commitment that Pride will continue to be an annual✤ seasonal event in both Old School and RuneScape." One week later, the executive team responded.
"As a studio, we must stay grounded in the mission we all share, and that's making great games for players," the response reads. "Our job is not to use the game as an outleꦦt for our own views, but to craft worlds that serve our players, offering immersion, escape, and meaning. That responsibility asks each of us to apply good judgment and to make creative decisions that resonate across a wide and diverse community - and that's what we've tried to do here."
Despite the lack of Pridꦿe celebrations this year, Jagex ༒is permitting marches, and one was held on June 9 earlier this week.
- Dates
- Sunday, 1 June 2025 — Monday, 30 June 2025 𓃲
