RuneScape is a massively-multiplayer online game, set in a fantasy world of warring races, ravaged landscapes and sinister powers. The game is updated twice a months with new content, quests, skills or challenges.

Launched in 2001, RuneScape has been played by over 100 million players worldwide, making it the world’s largest Free-to-play Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), as recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. The game is set in the medieval fantasy realm of Gielinor, an open-world landscape of kingdoms, regions and cities that are home to a myriad of monsters and magicks, and propel players into a multitude of quests and adventures.

Jagex launched the online referendum on 24th December as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations for RuneScape, giving players the unique chance to directly influence and shape the future of the game. Over 1.2 million votes were cast in just under three weeks, with more than 91% of players voting in favour of bringing back the Wilderness and Free Trade demonstrating how passionate the community are and how quickly they can mobilise support for their cause.

“We have the most incredible community of gamers and we wanted to demonstrate how much we value them by handing this game changing decision over to them,” said Mark Gerhard, Jagex CEO. “I firmly believe that the Wilderness represents the ultimate risk versus reward experience in any MMO and the incredible support for the campaign demonstrates that our players agree. It has been fantastic to watch the community mobilise in support of the update and we can now introduce these features certain in the knowledge that they are what our community want.”

Christoph Vietzke, Head of RuneScape followed by saying: “The RuneScape community have sent us a very clear message and the development team has started work this morning. The entire Jagex team have been glued to their screens watching the votes fly in and it has been great to see the community vote with such enthusiasm.”

As a result of the referendum unrestricted trade will be released into the game on the 1st February, meaning that players will once again be given the freedom to gift their wealth to their friends or trade items with the wider RuneScape community.

The Wilderness will also reclaim its place as the most dangerous area in RuneScape, offering players the chance to stake their armour, weapons and resources to defeat others and loot their remains once victorious. With numerous new features added to RuneScape over recent years including: summoning creatures, new curses, more powerful weaponry and armour, making the new Wilderness the deadliest place in RuneScape.