You've got a chance to remove one of Runescape's worst microtransactions, as Jagex admits it's "eroded integrity"

Ah microtransactions, the age-old debate. 'MTX are terrible!,' says one camp, the other retorting 'if you don't like it, don't buy it.' It's the 'blue or white' dress situation all over again. What most people agree on, however, is that 'pay to win' is bad - anything that you can purchase with real money that actively improves your experience in-game is a no-go. Whether it's gacha banners or rapid XP gains, pretty much everyone hates P2W systems. It's a label that's been hurled at Jagex several times over the past few years, especially when it comes to Runescape's Treasure Hunter system. A daily activity that allows you to win prizes, it's much-maligned by players, but it may not be for much longer.

Jagex has already come under fire this year when a survey suggested that Runescape memberships would potentially get more expensive while offering less. It's since promised that the MMO's monetization systems would "materially change," with CEO John Bellamy claiming the current system is "harming Runescape."

On July 21, Jagex disabled microtransactions for Treasure Hunter as part of a week-long trial, with a limited supply of bonus XP bundles (capped at one purchase per day) available in-store instead. According to its learnings blog post, 65% of players approved of the system's removal, with 54% of participants being more likely to recommend Runescape. Despite the feedback, the change wasn't made permanently.

Now, in its latest community poll, it's floating removing Treasure Hunter in its entirety - a radical step in the modern age of triple-A videogames.

Starting now, you can vote to have Treasure Hunter removed from Runescape. Jagex confirms that the feature itself will bite the dust if that's what the community wants, alongside the 220 "gameplay-benefitting" items that are associated with it. This includes Dummies, Portables, Proteans, XP Lamps, and other content. If the poll surpasses 100,000, the Treasure Hunter MTXs will be removed.

"Since Squeal of Fortune was introduced in 2012, and subsequently Treasure Hunter in 2014, our approach to monetization has, over time, eroded some of the integrity at the heart of Runescape," Bellamy writes. "The most concerning elements of our MTX systems have been those that allowed players to bypass core gameplay, skipping over the depth, challenge, and sense of discovery that make Runescape truly special.

"While these systems have helped fund the game, they've done so at a cost to something far greater: the integrity of our worlds. This vote is about correcting that, and taking a step toward designing experiences that are fair, rewarding, and built to last."

I used to play multiplayer games every night with my pals, but in the past year I've gravitated towards single-player adventures because I'm sick of constantly being served 'buy this' or 'artificial sale here.' Potentially removing microtransactions at the triple-A level feels unprecedented, but I love what Jagex is doing here - it feels like its listening, which is a novelty these days.

You have 14 days to vote in Jagex's new poll, giving you until Wednesday November 12 to have your say. If the poll reaches 100,000 signatures, Jagex will scrap Runescape's Treasure Hunter system. You can cast your vote here.

If you're looking for more microtransaction-free experiences, I'd recommend checking out our list of the best indie games. Alternatively, if you're looking for something a little more Runescape-esque, we have a rundown of all the best free MMOs.

What do you think about Jagex's new poll? Let us know on Discord, and tell us about your worst videogame purchases. Mine is absolutely that $100 Valorant bundle…