In June of the previous year, Jagex, the creators of the well-known medieval MMO Runescape, encountered considerable backlash from their players after they chose not to add new content for Pride Month. This choice, which was debated internally within the company before it became widely known, was viewed by many as a regression during a time when the global climate is becoming increasingly unfriendly to minority communities.
In a subsequent interview in September, Jon Bellamy, the CEO of Jagex, spoke about the uproar. When asked by Games Industry regarding the choice to simply rehash existing Pride-themed quests and events, Bellamy underscored his responsibility for governance and safeguarding the future of the game. He remarked, “Ultimately, my role is governance and protection as much as anything else, and so sometimes those kinds of harsh decisions have to be made to protect the imminent future of the game. If there are tough decisions to be made next year, we’ll make them. If the world has changed a bit and the environment is different, we will react accordingly.”
As the next Pride Month nears, it remains to be seen if the environment has truly shifted. The gaming community and industry observers are closely monitoring how Jagex will handle this delicate issue in the upcoming months. The company’s position and actions are expected to be analyzed as a mirror of the larger societal perspectives on inclusivity and representation in gaming.
For further insights and developments on this topic, you can read more [here](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/we-have-not-stopped-supporting-pride-runescape-developers-say-however-they-dont-plan-to-create-new-pride-quest-content-in-2026).