‘Old School RuneScape’ Update Replaces Player Character Gender With “Body Types” And Pronouns
Jagex have removed gender from Old School RuneScape player characters, offering “body types” and pronouns instead.
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This comes as part of the August 14th update, including the return of Slayer Partners, and the rest of the updates decided via Poll 82. In an update to Makeovers (customizing your character), Old School RuneScape developer Jagex emphasize this is “Your Player Character, Your Way.”
“A big part of Old School is having the freedom to play the game your way, and that should extend to character creation, too. We want our players to have the freedom to express themselves in Gielinor, just as they would IRL,” Jagex explain.
To that end, the Makeover Mage and initial character creator interfaces now allow players to choose between “Body type A” and “Body type B.” These used to be Male and Female, and the models are still plainly a man and a woman. Players can also pick their pronouns of He/him, She/her, and They/them.
Jagex also confirm all facial hair can be used no matter the Body Type.
In the full changelog, it’s also noted, “You can also continue without selecting a pronoun, if that’s what you prefer. The game will use the default based on body type, similar to how it has always been.”
As with prior cases of games stepping into the charged discussion of gender identity by offering gender-free character creation, there was vocal opposition.
While there were those who applauded the move on X in reply to Jagex’s tweet on the update, others criticized it as pandering and contrary to the majority of community wishes. The latter also included claims that this change wasn’t even asked in Poll 82.
“You poll this but not pronouns?” @YouOnlyGot6Cars asked. They highlighted how one of the questions asked if Jagex should remove the erroneous single green pixel from the Construction skill icon that had become a running gag.
For context on how many players vote in the Old School Runescape polls, 56.6% out of over 50,000 voted to keep the pixel. All polls are voted in-game by players with a total skill level of at least 300. Poll 82 discussed minigame changes, and nothing on gender options or character creation. 60,207 players took part in the vote.
@YeaDudeSame was another dissatisfied player. “Love that we’re getting corporate virtue signaling to a vocal minority in the form of pronouns instead of real content. Almost everything since tob [Theater of Blood] has been pathetic.”
“The dev team has never been bigger and the quality AND quantity of updates has never been worse.”
One of the lengthiest complaints was by “Askingforafriend” (@Asking4a_fren). “Are you […] kidding me?” The user then lists numerous preceding issues, including taking a long time to implement a quality of life update, scrapping the Ruinous Powers content that was promised, and stingy rewards for a grandmaster quest.
“But this woke ultraleftist political ESG-[…] that NO ONE is asking for or wants save the occasional pandering lunatic: this was worth your development time and gets immediatelly [sic] put into the game without any say of the players? And it’s not like it’s the first one; quest dialogue changes, that stupid pride parade and event,…”
“Body type A and body type B? Have you been living under a rock for the past decade? Gamers don’t want this garbage: companies who do keep bleeding money and then whine as to how or why that is. Blizzard now knows but you have to try it for yourselves don’t you?” Askingforafriend demeaned.
“And if the rest of the game ran smoothly but no: every update there’s a major bug up to the point most other players I know don’t play the day of an update in case of another rollback. Jagex, you’re a shadow of what you once were.”
“Well I’m done: 18 years a player but I’m done. And you’re gonna say ‘good riddance, no one forces you to play you fascist bigot.’ but guess what: I don’t think I’ll be the only one. Good luck with this ‘new and inclusive’ direction you’re going in.”
The reception wasn’t much better on Old School Runescape‘s Steam forum. “AN7IC4RN15T” even proposed the update would work against diversity. “who decided this? lol. reminder: you can be a non-woke leftist.”
“Pronouns dont change anything about a person. your sex doesnt determine your personality(gender identity). this is reinforcing the gender binary. exactly the opposite you are trying to achieve. but hey hop into the bandwagon.”
In another Steam thread with a lengthy list of retorts to gender identity in a fantasy game, “TheVideoGator” explained how Old School Runescape was the worst game for such a change.
“Agreed, it’s frankly ridiculous that this change was made to Old School RuneScape, a variant of the game specifically reintroduced to appeal to players dissatisfied with how to game changed to begin with, introducing radical gender ideology into a game intended to market towards nostalgia is absolutely pants-on-head.”
Several users also recommended 2004Scape, an open-source fan made project that attempts to recreate Runescape as it was in 2004.
As an aside, it should be noted the Makeover Mage that allows players to change their appearance in game changes their own gender every few seconds- switching between a man and a woman. They insist the magic makeover process is safe and have “only had thirty-six major accidents this month!“
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