Gotcha Gotcha Games, a division of Kadokawa Corporation and the holder of the intellectual property rights for the RPG Maker franchise, has revealed the upcoming shutdown of the RPG Maker Forum, a community center that has been in operation for 14 years. The forum is set to close on December 11, 2026. In its stead, a new platform known as RPG Maker Guild will be introduced, but this transition has raised significant concerns within the community, particularly because Gotcha Gotcha Games has opted not to archive the content from the original forum.
This announcement was officially conveyed via a post on the RPG Maker Forum, along with a FAQ that explained the rationale behind the closure. The FAQ clearly mentioned, “There are currently no plans to provide a public archive or backup of the current forum once it has been closed.” Consequently, the RPG Maker community is racing against the clock to salvage important posts, guides, resources, and other content essential to the RPG Maker ecosystem.
The weight of this situation has led to historical comparisons, with many users equating the forum’s imminent shutdown to the burning of the Library of Alexandria. While some may deem such parallels excessive, the comparison arises from the substantial loss of knowledge and resources that will occur. The forum’s Legacy Engine support thread alone is said to contain about 45,600 threads and 280,000 messages, underscoring the extensive contributions from the community over the years.
The potential ramifications extend beyond hobbyist developers; they encompass a variety of esteemed indie games that owe their creation to RPG Maker, including OFF, Omori, Corpse Party, Fear and Hunger, Ao Oni, and Yume Nikki. The developmental histories and dialogues concerning these games are stored in the forum, making their preservation essential for understanding the growth of indie game development through this platform.
Fortunately, the official announcement has granted a six-month period for community members to start backing up their content prior to the forum’s closure. A proactive member of the RPG Maker community has even reached out for help from the r/DataHoarders subreddit, organizing efforts to ensure that crucial resources and discussions are archived.
In conclusion, the shutdown of the RPG Maker Forum signifies a considerable loss for the RPG Maker community and indie game developers. Despite the introduction of RPG Maker Guild, the absence of archival measures for the original forum raises concerns regarding the sustainable legacy of RPG Maker, as its resources and knowledge base remain at risk of vanishing entirely. The need for community members to take action in preserving what they can has never been more urgent.
