Jagex Confirms No New Pride Content for Runescape & OSRS in 2026

Greetings, veteran gamers and fellow adventurers! This is your Lead Tech Analyst at In Game News, diving deep into the latest controversy brewing in the world of Gielinor. Jagex, the titans behind the enduring MMOs Runescape and Old School Runescape, are once again under the microscope regarding their approach to Pride Month content.

Last year’s decisions sparked significant internal and external backlash, and as we gear up for Pride Month 2026, the questions linger. We’ve meticulously parsed the latest statements and revisited the context to bring you the cold, hard facts.

Key Takeaways: Jagex's 2026 Pride Stance

• No New Pride Content for 2026: Jagex confirms they will *not* be developing any fresh Pride Month quests or content for either Runescape or Old School Runescape this year.
• Runescape's Recurring Quest: Mainline Runescape will reactivate its "Tales of Pride" seasonal quest, a pre-existing storyline, and Jagex will back community-organized in-game Pride events.
• Old School Runescape's Content Gap: After a history of unique new quests (2017-2024), Old School Runescape saw *no* Pride content (new or reactivated) in 2025, and none is planned for 2026. This marks a notable shift from previous years.
• CEO's Previous Justification: Jon Bellamy, Jagex CEO, previously justified the 2025 content halt by citing "protection of the imminent future of the game" and a global environment where "games and studios are being cancelled because of content that is perceived to be ‘woke’."
• Internal Conflict & External Scrutiny: The 2025 decision sparked internal dissent, with reports of staff concerns about "catering to American conservatism," and continues to draw player scrutiny.
• Jagex's Official Stance: Despite the explicit confirmation of no new content, Jagex maintains, "We have not stopped supporting Pride and we will continue to celebrate Pride this year."

The 2025 Fallout: A Cautious Retreat

The saga began last June when Jagex, following internal disputes and a leak, opted not to produce any *new* content for Pride Month 2025. This decision immediately put them at odds with a significant portion of their player base and even their own staff.

The then-new CEO, Jon Bellamy, was reported by PinkNews in April 2025 as telling staff that they would forgo new Pride content, instead "focusing more on what players wanted." A staffer was quoted noting the decision showed the company "catering to American conservatism," drawing a direct line to Jagex's new owners, CVC Capital Partners, and their portfolio of US investments.

Following internal pushback, Bellamy held a Q&A, stating, "I understand that RuneScape … is precious because it is a safe space, it is an escape from reality, and the reality that we find ourselves in is changing. It is getting stranger, more troubling, less moral, I would argue. Games and studios are being cancelled because of content that is perceived to be ‘woke’ or representative. The pendulum is swinging back in a way we didn’t expect." He later added, "The content... is now controversial in a way it didn’t used to be and that controversy now brings more risk than it did previously, risk that I’m personally responsible to protect against."

Our colleagues at Games Industry followed up in September 2025, asking Bellamy if he stood by the decision. He reiterated, "Ultimately, my job 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." He concluded, "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."

What Did Happen in 2025?

Despite the initial decision to halt all Pride content, Jagex did reactivate the "Tales of Pride" event in Runescape following an open letter from staff. This quest, first added in 2022, allowed players to learn about diverse characters in Gielinor and earn cosmetic rewards. Crucially, this was *not* new content.

The community stepped up, organizing their own "Community Pride Event" in Runescape and a similar parade in Old School Runescape, demonstrating the enduring player-driven support for inclusivity within these games.

However, it's vital to note the distinction for Old School Runescape: while it had seen *new* Pride-themed quests in 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2024, there was "not a new quest added in 2025, nor was an old quest reactivated" for OSRS. This means Old School Runescape received no official Pride content from Jagex in 2025.

Looking Ahead: Pride Month 2026

With this year's Pride Month on the horizon, we've pressed Jagex for their 2026 plans. The answers, directly from the studio, paint a clear picture:

Jagex's Official 2026 Stance

• Will Jagex be supporting Pride in 2026? Yes. The Tales of Pride seasonal quest will reactivate in game and we will continue to support community-led Pride activity in-game. In addition, the studio will continue to offer events and support as part of local celebrations around Pride.
• Will Jagex be developing any new content for Pride in 2026? The Tales of Pride seasonal quest will reactivate in game and we will continue to support community-led Pride activity in-game. In addition, the studio will continue to offer events and support as part of local celebrations around Pride.

The repeated phrasing here is intentional. Jagex is committed to reactivating the existing "Tales of Pride" quest in Runescape and supporting community efforts. However, they explicitly confirm the absence of *newly developed quest content* for 2026.

When directly asked if they had "stopped supporting Pride," Jagex's response was definitive: "We have not stopped supporting Pride and we will continue to celebrate Pride this year." They also dismissed the notion that "cutting Pride" was an example of "changes for the greater good of the game long term," stating, "No – given nothing has been “cut” from the game in terms of inclusive representation or existing Pride-related content."

On the query about whether holding in-person events in the US would preclude in-game Pride support, Jagex stated, "The two are unrelated. In-person events are about celebrating our community and engagement; in-game content decisions are about what fits the world and how we develop it."

Our Take: A Pattern of Precaution

As veteran gamers, we've seen this play before. Jagex is clearly taking a cautious, some might say 'safe,' approach to Pride Month. While they maintain they "have not stopped supporting Pride," the absence of *new* content development for a second consecutive year, especially contrasting with Old School Runescape's prior history of fresh quests, speaks volumes.

CEO Jon Bellamy's earlier statements about protecting the game from content perceived as "woke" underscore a strategic decision to avoid potential backlash, even if it means iterating on existing content rather than innovating. This strategy, while perhaps designed to protect the "imminent future of the game" in a "changing" and "less moral" world, risks alienating segments of its player base and staff who value progressive representation.

The "Tales of Pride" reactivation is a welcome baseline, and community-led events are fantastic, but the lack of fresh, purpose-built content for 2026 in an era where many other studios are embracing new narratives feels like a missed opportunity to truly engage and celebrate with the LGBTQIA+ community within Gielinor. It signals a holding pattern, driven by a perceived "risk" that perhaps many players believe is worth taking for true inclusivity.