Nearly A Year After Removing Sex Options, Adding Pronouns, And Mocking Players, RuneScape Developer Jagex Begins Laying Off Employees
Less than a year after RuneScape developer Jagex removed sex options and added pronouns into the game the company is laying off employees.
Back in August Jagex announced it was removing its sex selection options and adding in pronoun options in its character creator and makeover interface.
The official Old School RuneScape X account announced the patch on August 14th writing, “GAME UPDATE: Grab your duo: Slayer Partners is back! Not only is this feature finally returning, but we’ve brought with it some fresh QoL!”
It added, “Plus some Poll 82 changes including the ability to wield certain tools in your off-hand.”
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In the notes, Jagex revealed, “In the updated Makeover interface, players may now choose between Body Type A and Body Type B, offering the freedom to pick either body type without the restriction of gender labels.”
Furthermore, it added, “To give you even more room for self-expression, you can now choose a preferred pronoun for your player character from the following options: He/Him, She/Her, or They/Them. 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.”
The developer did not stop there. It also added, “All facial hair styles can now be used with both body types.”
Following numerous players expressing that they did not want this option added into the game, Old School RuneScape Program Manager JagexAsh dismissed their concerns.
In response to one individual sharing he would cancel his membership due to the update, JagexAsh responded, ““I wouldn’t have expected you to see it very often unless you’re switching up at the Makeover Mage really regularly, but thanks for letting me know you no longer wish to play due to players having that text option. All the best with your future gaming :)”
In response to another individual he wrote, “Tbh, there were similar doom predictions when we first ran Pride events, and they just didn’t seem to come true year after year, however many times social media predicted it. Thanks for the warning, though :)”
After another individual shared a screenshot of his canceled subscription, JagexAsh replied, “I’m afraid the inclusion changes released over the last years are intended to stay. I’m glad we were able to talk about the screen shake, but if this becomes the last time you’re around, thanks very much for playing, and all the best for your future gaming :)”
He would go on to mock another individual as well, “In all the years you’ve been playing, the game’s actually always used pronouns to refer to you in thousands of bits of text across the game. Previously players just didn’t get much choice about which, so we’ve made the game just a little more accommodating :)”
Now, at least nine individuals have been laid off. Reddit user Stuckinfemalecloset shared that the employees include Astar, Bam-Head, Fowl, Jack, Kitsune, Mickey, Pebble, Stead, and Timbo.
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Mod Hooli confirmed the layoffs claiming the company was going through a restructure.
He wrote on Reddit, “Yes, there have unfortunately been job reductions at Jagex. These have been made as part of changes in a company restructure as Jagex puts more emphasis on RuneScape games and community growth.”
“The majority of roles are from non-game dev and non-player facing areas,” he continued. “There are some exceptions within the RS team as part the company's focus on a streamlined development approach.”
Hooli added, “I’m sure many of you are concerned about what this means for RuneScape 3. This is not a change in direction from what Mod North has said before – we are still committed to growing this game and investing in it. Our Roadmap won’t change because of these job reductions, and we’ll continue the great path we’ve been on with our content. We will talk to you about this when the time is right. What matters most right now are the people affected by this change. The studio’s focus is to support those affected, as is mine. Now is the time we put them first and do everything we can to help them out.”
What do you make of Jagex laying off employees?
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Well, the entire studio is obviously full of woke clowns, so them losing their jobs is great.
Zero tolerance for pronouns. Zero tolerance for any of it.
ZERO tolerance.
"Tolerance" got us here in the first place.