Old School RuneScape players have started this month with some welcome news. Jagex revealed they banned more than 1 million macro accounts in January alone, nearly doubling the 582,000 from December 2025. The stat, shared via in-game updates and quickly highlighted on the official r/2007scape subreddit, marks one of the largest banwaves in the game's history. Fans celebrated the purge as a strong start to the year, with the Reddit post titled "1 Million Macro Bans in January 2026" earning hundreds of upvotes and flaired as an "Achievement."
On top of banning 1 million bots and cheaters, they also shared a few other great statistics. They have removed over 1 trillion gold pieces from the economy that were earned or created through cheating and TOS breaking means. They also banned over 6,500 accounts for Real World Trading. Last they have muted over 7,000 accounts that were spamming the chat. (I am sure 7,000 of them were the annoying Stella bots...) Not only are they stopping bots, but cheaters of any kind.
For those who are unfamiliar with the terms, "macros" in OSRS refer to automated bots that grind skills, farm resources, or manipulate the economy without human input. These scripts have long been a thorn in Gielinor's side, flooding highscores with fake accounts, crashing gold prices through real-world trading (RWT), and ruining experiences in PvP worlds or popular skilling spots like Marks of Grace hunters in rooftops. One commenter noted snagging 14 such bots banned, all high-level Agility farmers, proving player reports play a key role alongside Jagex's tech.
Jagex has ramped up its Botwatch system over the years, incorporating machine learning to detect unnatural behavior like perfect click timing or repetitive patterns. This January effort reflects ongoing investment, especially after player outcry in late 2025 about bot farms overtaking Varrock and Lumbridge. The scale suggests improved detection, possibly targeting sophisticated AI-driven bots that mimic humans better than older scripts. While no official blog post details the methodology yet, the numbers speak volumes: over a million cheaters shown the door in 31 days.
Reactions in the OSRS community lean positive, though tempered with realism. The r/2007scape thread exploded with 260+ comments, many praising Jagex for "starting the year off strong." Crossposts to r/BanTheBots amplified the hype, with users sharing screenshots of cleared areas and speculating on economic ripple effects. This wave of bans has many players overall optimistic for the future.
However not everything is sunshine and rainbows. False bans remain a sore spot, with appeals flooding Jagex Support amid AI flagging legit players using plugins or autoclickers for AFK skilling. Recent X replies show support responding to disputes, urging the new appeal process. Videos like "Jagex Bans Real Players" highlight collateral damage, urging caution on third-party tools. Still, the net positive dominates: fewer bots mean fairer highscores, stabler gold (potentially boosting prices short-term), and revitalized hotspots.
This banwave arrives at a pivotal time. As OSRS hit new player highs in 2025, fueled by updates like Sailing that came out just a few months ago, but bot saturation threatened retention with real players. With 2026 roadmaps promising raids and quest finales, cleaning house of cheaters and bots ensures real players reap rewards. Jagex's track record shows bans are whack-a-mole, but hitting seven figures monthly signals their commitment.
Players can help stop bots via in-game reports and Bot Busting events. As one Redditor put it, coordinated efforts amplify impact. For now, Gielinor feels a bit purer. Keep an eye on monthly stats; if February tops this, OSRS might just sweep the streets clean of bots and create new glory days.
What are your thoughts on the ban wave? Do you think they banned enough or not enough? Let us know what new content you are looking forward to this year in the comments below!