As we roll into Haroldjam 2023: Ascent of the Allies, I have a heavy announcement to share. Almost four years after crash landing in the RM scene during Hawktober 2019, I will be taking an extended and indefinite sabbatical. This means a few things:

• I will no longer actively maintain the RPG Maker Beta Testers Discord. I will not close the server, but will be leaving it up to community members to maintain the collaborative and constructive environment that has made me proud all these years.
• I will no longer be doing any game development, including asset packs, action sequences, game jams.
• I will be leaving almost all Discord servers.
• I will still check in every few weeks, play the occasional indie game, scan the server and re-evaluate whether it should remain open, and check DMs.
• This will be the final Harold Jam that I run. May it live on forever in your hearts (or someone else do it).

Those who interacted a lot with me saw this coming, but for those curious my reasons are the following:

• Positive relationships with a growing family, which requires more of my emotional and physical presence
• A more pro-active and conscious relationship with digital media
• Positive career changes that require more of my focus and attention
• A greater focus on physical health, analog activities, household maintenance, reading, and sustainable sleep practices
• Playing more video games!

Importantly, none of my reasons for leaving involve issues with other members or the community as a whole. I see my relationship with the community as overwhelmingly positive. The problems that we weathered together were learning experiences and taught many of us how to successfully navigate some of the darker aspects of digital interaction. At no point did any conflict lead me to want to leave. Instead, they only emphasized how important it is to have stable, pro-social members leading by example. Despite my missteps and mistakes, I truly hope I was able to be that example.

However, true to the Ascent of the Allies theme, I believe my friends have everything it takes to make a real positive impact on the indie game dev world, and it is time for me to move on to other pursuits. To be clear, I'm not claiming I'm a heroic Harold. I've always been a support character, a kind and thoughtful Lucius if I may indulge, buffing and healing those close to me.

I'd also like to emphasize that, while this sabbatical is indefinite, I would like to return and be a game dev again one day (2027?). There are no guarantees, but I can say that game development has been one of the most satisfying and fulfilling hobbies I've ever had. Not only have I been able to express myself creatively in ways I never thought possible, I've been able to share myself with wonderful, brilliant, fascinating people from across the globe. One day, I dream of having sufficient time and energy, and investing my heart and soul into the craft and the community once again.

For now, thank you all for being part of this shared epic quest. You are all my allies, and I look forward to seeing everyone ascend to unprecedented heights.

EDIT: Funny, after reading this I realize I never set a timeline, so it seems like I left as soon as I wrote this! The actual plan is to transfer things over gradually starting during the jam judgment period in April! It may take a little time. After that, I'll unplug from Discord totally for a minimum of 1 month, then pop in as a normal member once in a while.