Other measures the developer could consider as punishment for Cheap RuneScape Gold RWT actions include wealth removal - essentially removing ill-gotten gains from players' accounts on an individual server level. It could also mean potential bans.

RuneScape's PvP element, which is known as the Duel Arena, will also be subject to stricter rules. Jagex claims that the feature "has been a source of the harmful behavior" and that 38 per cent of the bans given to RWT activities up to now result from this particular aspect of the game. It says that already amounts to "thousands of bans every month".

This is why the developer appears to be taking the nuclear alternative, saying "we're thinking about the long-term for phasing out in the Duel Arena out of RuneScape completely." Until then, it will implement "some short-term measures" to improve PvP "until our development teams are able to deliver major updates that fully replaces the Duel Arena next year."

There will be a limit on the amount of GP or gold points and players will be able to stake games within the Duel Arena. Players can wager "no over 50m GP per duel". The additional measures haven't been defined yet.

Jagex confirms that "a new and exciting experience that's going to play out as part the Elder God Wars storyline" will replace Duel Arena by the time 2022 begins Old School RS Gold, but no further details are available yet.