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Old School RuneScape
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Old School RuneScape
game·Feb 24, 2021·
Shop
Shop this game
Old School RuneScape
We may earn a commission from purchases through these links.
Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.
Old School RuneScape
game
February 24, 2021
Wokeometer Rating
6Mixed
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke
TL;DR Verdict
Old School RuneScape earns a moderate 6/10 woke score for unpolled D&I updates, gender-neutral character options, and Pride events that add progressive layers to its retro MMORPG core, amid player backlash but not overshadowing quests, grinding, and PvP.
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Detailed Analysis
Old School RuneScape, a player-driven retro MMORPG faithful to its 2007 roots, incorporates noticeable progressive ideological elements through unpolled Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) updates since 2021, which alter NPC names (e.g., Zambo to Zembo), quest dialogue related to disability and women, and other outdated content without community approval, clashing with the game's 70% poll requirement for major changes.
The character creator was overhauled in August 2024 to remove 'Male' and 'Female' in favor of 'Body type A/B', with mandatory independent pronoun selection (he/him, she/her, they/them) and facial hair available on all types, normalizing gender fluidity and non-binary identities as a core player interaction point. Annual Pride events from 2022-2024 featured LGBTQ+-themed quests (e.g., Perplexed Poets, Adventures of Kit Breaker), parades, cosmetics, and anti-harassment enforcement, promoting inclusivity overtly.
These changes sparked backlash on Steam, Reddit, and X, with players decrying 'woke' intrusions, pronoun mandates, and dev dismissals of quitters, including hints of bans for misgendering. While not the foundational premise—driven by grinding, quests, and PvP—these elements significantly influence character creation, NPC representation, and seasonal content, embedding identity politics into daily play despite the game's traditional fantasy appeal. Jagex's 2025 pause on new Pride content under a new CEO acknowledges anti-woke risks, but prior activist intent via D&I persists.
Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.
Detailed BreakdownPro
Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism
See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.
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Privacy policyIs Old School RuneScape Woke?
We've run a full content analysis on Old School RuneScape and scored it 6/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woke content is in Old School RuneScape?
Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into Old School RuneScape's overall score.
Is Old School RuneScape appropriate for kids?
Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the official content rating to decide if it's right for your family.
How does Wokeometer score video games?
We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →