ROMHacking.net, the thriving community for video game enthusiasts to share and collaborate on hacks and remixes of old games, is going dark after nearly two decades. The founder, known as Nightcrawler, has announced the closure of the website, citing burnout and internal troubles. However, amidst this setback, Nightcrawler has revealed plans to archive all existing content on the Internet Archive, ensuring that the legacy of ROM hacking will be preserved.

Nightcrawler expressed gratitude for the fulfilling journey the website has had over the past 20 years. "We made major progress in legitimizing and elevating ROM hacking from the realm of underground dark web material to something embraced by the mainstream," Nightcrawler stated in a post on the site. "We paved an easier path for future generations of ROM hackers."

The ROMHacking community, characterized by its passion for creatively transforming video game code, has produced remarkable projects such as marrying the worlds of Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past and Super Metroid, creating unofficial sequels for games like Advance Wars, and creating countless versions of Super Mario World with redesigned levels. The website served as a hub for collaboration and a platform for sharing these innovative creations.

However, Nightcrawler also revealed his personal exhaustion and a longing for the earlier days when the community was smaller and more tightly-knit. The overwhelming popularity of the site, with constant engagement, endless queues, and a flood of messages, appears to have taken a toll. "It's a very different world than it was in 2005," Nightcrawler lamented.

While Nightcrawler cites burnout as the main reason for shutting down the site, other members within the ROM hacking community present a contrasting narrative. Gideon Zhi, a community member, sympathized with Nightcrawler's condition but pointed out that he maintained complete control over the community-created content, rejecting offers of assistance throughout the past decade. Zhi also revealed that Nightcrawler had considered shutting down the site since 2023 and that initial plans did not include archiving the work.

Months of internal conflicts ensued, revolving around the issue of who would take over the site and how it would be managed. Nightcrawler briefly touched upon this turmoil in his post, stating, "We had a tumultuous phase 1, transferring the downloads into their possession. As I proceeded to phase 2, I encountered an extremely dishonest and hateful group. I realized that I had been dehumanized for a long time. My personal information had been exposed, and deceitful plans were devised to exclude me and destroy everything."

However, Zhi contested Nightcrawler's claims, explaining that frustration grew among staff members due to Nightcrawler's inaccessibility and refusal to participate in real-time discussions on Discord. Zhi vehemently denied any involvement in doxxing or threatening Nightcrawler, expressing outrage at the mere suggestion.

In his final remarks, Nightcrawler disassociated the ROMHacking.net website from its X and Discord accounts and provided a link to the Internet Archive, where backups of the site's content will be preserved.

Despite the closure of ROMHacking.net, the legacy of the ROM hacking community will live on through the archived work. The end of an era stirs mixed emotions within the community, but it also signifies the lasting impact and evolution of ROM hacking into a more recognized and celebrated art form.