Recently, the RuneScape community has been in uproar after the newly appointed CEO Jon Bellamy—known in the community as Mod North—announced significant cuts to the game’s Pride Month celebrations. In his communication with staff, Bellamy expressed that the decision was aimed at protecting the company from backlash, which ironically has now sparked an even bigger uproar within the community.

While addressing his team, Bellamy stated, “Pride content is controversial in a way that it didn’t used to be, and the risk associated with it now is greater than in the past, a risk I must safeguard against personally.” This reasoning did little to appease employees who subsequently penned an open letter asking to reinstate Pride content, reflecting the mounting dissatisfaction from the game’s fans.

As reactions flooded social media, many voiced their anger towards the decision. One community member lamented, “Cowardly and disgusting,” while others launched into absurd meme warfare, joking about “De-Gaying” RuneScape by moving to remove colorful items from the game.

Some players have gone a step further by organizing grassroots community-run Pride events, garnering support and drawing enough participation to cause server strain, demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity despite Jagex’s recent moves.