RuneScape will not be running its usual annual Pride Month events this year. Jagex has run in-game Pride Month events in both RuneScape and Old-School RuneScape (OSRS) for years, including special side quests, in-game marches, and hosted LGBTQ+ charity drives for many years now, establishing the games as safe spaces for LGBTQ+ players.
According to PinkNews, when new CEO Jon Bellamy announced through the Jagex internal message board on Friday, April 25, that there would be no new Pride Month content for 2025, it caused backlash within the company.
One anonymous employee, speaking to PinkNews, saw the decision as Jagex “catering to American conservatism.” Bellamy justified the decision by saying that the cancellation would allow developers more time to focus on “what players wanted.”
According to other staff members, the 2025 Pride events were either already completed or would otherwise be straightforward to implement into the game. Some even volunteered to finish the content on their own time, or asked to just host an in-game Pride parade, which would not have required development time.
Bellamy’s Response
Bellamy addressed the internal backlash with a Q&A session to address the staff’s concerns the Tuesday after the initial announcement....
