In a decision that bridges the gap between virtual economies and real-world law, a UK judge has confirmed that gold pieces in Old School RuneScape can be the subject of theft. Lord Justice Popplewell’s January 14, 2026, ruling which detailed in thorough judgment and addresses whether in-game currency qualifies as “property” under Section 4 of the Theft Act 1968, ultimately concluding that it does, at least in this high-profile case.
The case centers on former Jagex employee Mod Jed who is accused of hacking 68 player accounts, looting hundreds of billions of gold pieces, and selling the haul outside the game for Bitcoin. Jagex valued the stolen gold at more than $700,000. The developer company pursued civil and criminal action, arguing the gold represented tangible economic value despite existing only digitally.
Popplewell’s lengthy ruling walks through the mechanics of Old School RuneScape with surprising depth and explaining the grind for progress, the role of gold in trading and progression, and the existence of a real-world black market where players buy and sell in-game wealth. He notes that achieving meaningful advancement “can be a time-consuming process,” and that gold is routinely exchanged both in-game and for real money on third-party sites.
The judge’s core reasoning: property under the Theft Act should be interpreted broadly to include “any thing which can as a matter of normal use of language be described as capable of being stolen, unless there are good reasons why such a thing should be excepted.” Because RuneScape gold is actively bought, sold, and traded both legitimately within the game’s economy and illicitly for Bitcoin it qualifies as something subject to “dishonest dealing.” The ruling effectively treats the gold as having economic substance, even if it lacks physical form or official real-world value from Jagex.
This isn’t the first time virtual assets have faced legal scrutiny in the UK, but it marks a clear affirmation that stealing in-game currency can trigger criminal liability when it crosses into real-world monetization. The ex-employee’s actions which are hacking accounts and liquidating the gold has crossed that line decisively.
Jagex has long fought gold farming operations and unauthorized RMT (real-money trading), regularly banning accounts and seizing illicit gold. This ruling strengthens their position legally, potentially making it easier to pursue civil recovery or support criminal cases against large-scale thieves. They recently just updated the wilderness bosses to have harder requirements to try to stop gold farming operations.
No sentencing details have been released yet, as the judgment focuses on the property question rather than the final outcome. Still, the precedent is very significant: virtual gold may not be “real” money in Jagex’s eyes, but under UK law, it can absolutely be stolen.
For Old School RuneScape players, it’s a reminder that the grind has real stakes both in-game and in real life. As well as that crime never pays off!
What are your thougths on the ruling? Are you going to sue the guy that tricked you into typing your password in the chat when you were 12? Share your funniest OSRS story in the comments below!