It’s been several months since we last connected, but I feel like it’s time to end the silence and touch base with you all once more. In short, The Bonus World as it stands is on an indefinite hiatus. I’ve given this a lot of thought and while I would love nothing more than to be able to continue this site, life has happened and continues to do so.

I know I promised a return for the Game of the Year season, but that’s not happening. If you’re curious, I really enjoyed Psychonauts 2 and Halo Infinite, and I also thought Bowser’s Fury was pretty neat for what it was. So like, those three things are probably on the list that doesn’t exist.

As for the site, I just don’t have the time nor the ability to keep it going. The nine-to-five grind has really been tough for me to adjust to and hasn’t afforded much in the way of free time, whether it be for the site or for my own personal hobbies. Like, I don’t even get to play that many video games anymore, and my group and I haven’t come together for D&D in weeks. It’s gotten really hard to juggle everything in my life, and I’ve had to prioritize certain things over others.

It also didn’t help that my computer finally kicked the bucket once and for all. Hence why there’s no lightly Photoshopped image accompanying this post. That was a big momentum killer for sure.

I guess the biggest thing to mention is that I’m finally leaving New York. At the beginning of next year, I’ll be making the biggest change I’ve ever made in my life, and preparing for that has dominated most of my free time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for this change, but I’m also absolutely petrified of the myriad of uncertainties that come with it.

Maybe one day The Bonus World will return in some form, but it’s just not in the cards right now. So I want to thank everyone who has ever helped me work on this site in whatever aspect they did. I’m so grateful to have people in my life who were willing to go along with this weird hobby of mine. I also want to thank you, the reader, for indulging me for so long and being supportive. From every comment to every view, words cannot truly express just how thankful I am to you. You mean more to me than I could ever properly convey.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Maybe 2022 will be better, but I’m remaining skeptical for now. Regardless, good luck out there, be kind to one-another, and stay safe.

– Ari