Old School RuneScape player with items worth $250,000 banned for alleged real-world trading

The richest Old School RuneScape player with items worth $250,000 was recently banned for alleged real-world trading. For most MMORPGs with an in-game economy that facilitates trade and selling, real-world trading is a crisis. While there are a few titles that allow such exchanges, others frown upon it. Real-world trading refers to the act of taking real-world money for trading items outside the game.

While it's hard to prove, the developers have ways to detect such trades.

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Richest Old School RuneScape player gets banned for alleged real-world trading

As noticed on X, BTC, the richest Old School RuneScape player, was allegedly participating in giveaways on his stream. The player denied these accusations and claimed he was just giving away gold and other items to fans and followers.

BTC has dubbed it a false ban, but Jagex is firm on their decision. Based on the information revealed in a chat with a supposed Jagex employee, the company was adamant that the player was real-world trading. They mention that someone was using their account to trade items, which were then promptly sold off. Since the owner is liable for their account, any violations against Old School RuneScape's terms of service could prompt developers to take punitive action.

There's been a considerable amount of debate on X regarding the ban, with many questioning why companies prohibit real-world trading.

Notably, in cases where items can be farmed or purchased, real-world trading often hurts the company as players would rather buy an item from a different player than official outlets. Jagex looks to be firm on their decision about the ban.

This isn't the first time players have been warned about real-world trading. Numerous posts on the official forums date back to 2020, where many have discussed its implications. Since BTC is fairly popular in the community, it will be interesting to see if Jagex changes their stance on the matter.