Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the classic version of the popular MMORPG RuneScape, has recently enacted a significant change by banning deathmatching—a popular form of Player vs. Player (PvP) combat. This decision, driven by the game’s developer Jagex, aims to address issues surrounding fairness in PvP and, perhaps more importantly, to curb the spread of Real Money Trading (RMT) that has increasingly plagued the game’s community. While this move has been controversial among players, Jagex hopes that it will improve the overall gaming experience by fostering a fairer PvP environment and taking steps to dismantle RMT networks within OSRS gold.

This article explores why Jagex took such a drastic step, how deathmatching contributed to RMT, and what this change means for the PvP community and OSRS as a whole.
The Rise of Deathmatching in OSRS PvP

In OSRS, PvP has long been one of the most engaging and competitive aspects of the game. The Wilderness—a vast, dangerous area where players can freely attack each other—has become synonymous with high-stakes PvP, with its risks matched only by the rewards. Within this PvP ecosystem, various forms of combat and challenges have evolved over the years, and deathmatching became one of the most popular.

Deathmatching is essentially a form of PvP where two players agree to fight each other until one of them dies, with the victor claiming the loot of the defeated player. Unlike regular PvP encounters in the Wilderness, where players might attempt to escape or teleport to safety, deathmatching is a fight to the end. Because of its straightforward format and the significant amount of gold involved, deathmatching became a frequent choice for high-stakes gamblers who wanted to “fight” for in-game wealth, often in an organized, rule-based manner.

While this may sound like a fair way to engage in PvP, the deathmatching scene quickly became problematic. Organized groups known as “clans” or “deathmatching clans” emerged, enforcing complex rules and creating mini-communities around deathmatching. Unfortunately, these groups also attracted those who wished to exploit the system, and deathmatching soon turned into a hub for RMT.
Real Money Trading and Its Impact on OSRS

RMT refers to the buying and selling of in-game items, currency, or services for real-world money. In OSRS, this has been a persistent issue as players with real-world cash can gain a significant advantage by purchasing gold or valuable items instead of earning them through gameplay. RMT not only undermines the game’s economy but also disrupts the player experience, as wealth and resources become concentrated in the hands of those willing to spend money outside of the game’s legitimate means.

Over the years, Jagex has struggled to control RMT within OSRS, especially as it has become intertwined with various activities in the game, including PvP. Deathmatching was particularly susceptible to exploitation because it provided an easy way to transfer large sums of buy RuneScape gold from one player to another in a manner that appeared legitimate. For instance, two players could arrange a deathmatch, one player intentionally loses, and in doing so, transfers millions of gold to the other—who then sells it for real money.

As deathmatching gained popularity, it became clear that RMT “gold farms” and bots were also using this method to distribute illicit wealth, turning deathmatching into a breeding ground for rule-breaking activities. This growth in RMT activity did not go unnoticed, and Jagex began taking action by banning accounts involved in RMT. However, these measures were not enough to fully curb the problem, as players continually found ways to evade detection and exploit deathmatching for RMT purposes.