User:Bob Moncrief/Message
Hey y'all. I'm back to briefly share my thoughts on the impending UD shutdown. I've been on an "extended hiatus" for a while, occasionally checking in with the Scourge when time allows, and keeping an eye on things over at the UDWiki discord server. So I got the news right away that March 13th is the end of things here.
The death-knell of UD has been long-anticipated. I remember when I first started playing in 2011-2012 there were already people calling it a "dead game" and that "Kevan is gonna shut things down soon." And that has ramped up in the spaces I've been watching ahead of the 20th anniversary this year, though the exact moment and mechanism of the end has, of course, come as a surprise. But those portending doom have, if anything, been evidence that people care about UrbanDead and its survival. And it's a testament not just to Kevan but to the entire playerbase that a small community is still going strong nearly 20 years in.
I'm not angry, and though I am sad, I'm mostly taking this moment to appreciate all of the great memories and experiences I've had here over the years. Thank you to everyone who has made this game, and this wiki, an awesome place to be. I owe a debt of gratitude to you all, as Urban Dead and the wiki have been a welcome element of many of the toughest parts of my life in the last 14 years. The memories here are ones I will cherish forever. I especially want to say thank you to the wiki sysop team, past and present (you rock!), and to those I have shared in-game groups with (Scourge, EBD, and many more!), as well as to Kevan and everyone who has donated to keep this game going.
I'll have at least one or two alts active through 3/14 - find me in-game and see what events transpire... I won't be incredibly active here on the wiki, as I have too much going on irl to apply for sysop frantically update all the back archives catch up on several years of edits update all of the Scourge's ruins wrap things up the way I'd want to. And as a self-proclaimed internet archaeologist, freezing the wiki in its "natural state" provides an incredible resource for those wanting to understand the history of this small piece of zombie media and internet culture. I'm glad that the Wiki is going to stay accessible, and I hope Kevan keeps it that way (I assume it's close to free to host?), but I will be personally backing up some specific pages just in case.
If you want to stay in touch, find me via the UDWiki discord server - I'll keep it open beyond 3/14 though I expect activity there to drop off thereafter. I should be DM'able on discord, ping me on the server if you have any issues! I'm on various other platforms under other internet monikers, and may, closer to the end, reveal how to find me more directly.
UD has been an amazing ride, and you, for being a part of it, are amazing too. Be well, Bob Moncrief EBD•W! 18:14, 3 March 2025 (UTC)
One quick update that it turns out we're re-buttoning, like, everybody, so I am a sysop again for the last few days! I'll be checking recent changes and the final admin requests page, and am planning to do a final migration/update/fix-up of the various admin & sysop archives by late Thursday. I'm also planning to keep the UDWiki discord server open after the 14th, so come by to say hello! Bob Moncrief EBD•W! 22:24, 10 March 2025 (UTC)
A final update. These last twelve days have been a whirlwind. I'm overwhelmed by the many memories, and much gratitude.
Thank you, Kevan, for making this game and for keeping it up for so long. Thank you to the wiki and in-game communities of which I was a part, you have brought so much joy. Thank you to the sysop teams, past and present, for keeping this little corner of the internet in ship shape (or, well, something like it); I have learned so much in editing this wiki over the years. Thank you to those who have interacted with, built upon and enjoyed the things I've made and done on here. Thank you to the Scourge, EBD, and other groups of which I've been a part, and to my innumerable allies and enemies over the years. And, if you have been part of keeping this game alive over the latter days in Malton, thank you, thank you, thank you.
The internet is an odd space. And Urban Dead has been the oddest of it all. As an odd one myself, I've loved it. And if you're reading this, someday in the future, know that it has been wonderful.
On to the next incarnation! Bob Moncrief EBD•W! 10:35, 14 March 2025 (UTC)
