[IMPORTANT: Taken from the Rift Watchers main page. Game By Night is unaffected and will probably see more activity with the extra free time.]

Hi Everyone,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that tonight will be our final episode of the Rift Watchers podcast. Over the last eight months, we’ve joined together on a more-or-less weekly basis to talk about a game we all love. The project has been an almost daily part of my life, in one way or another, for nearly every day since we started. The community and the team at Trion has received us wonderfully and in a bigger and kinder way than any of us ever thought we’d see. It was exciting and a pleasure to say the least.

The big question, then, is “why?” The answer is pretty simple: Rift Watchers is a project that I wanted done with my full effort or not at all. Every episode took nearly eight hours from start to finish and required a significant amount of planning. As we all move forward with our lives, responsibilities change. Gavin, as you probably heard, got an internship with PC Gamer; he’s on the path toward the career he’s wanted for as long as I’ve known him (and it couldn’t be happening for a better guy, incidentally). Jeremy is regularly flown around the country doing a job that requires more dedication and time than many his age would be willing to commit; and that says a lot about who he is as a person and how much he’s willing to put forth for his burgeoning family. For my part, I’m embarking on my journey towards a Master’s degree and beginning a new job making sure aspiring teachers find placements in the best districts New York State has to offer.

We all still find time to play, read, and discuss RIFT regularly.

The reality is simply this: Rift Watchers is not something I ever wanted to be “fit in.” Over the last eight months, it’s become “my baby” in many ways, and like a protective parent, I want it do be done justice; I want the original vision and standard to be maintained. I don’t know that that’s possible anymore, at least for now. And so we find ourselves here. Rather than ebb into the classic “podfade” we’re electing to pull the train into one final stop, bid our passengers farewell, and watch the steam fade off  by the sunset’s light.

Podcasting has been a longtime hobby of mine, and all of us, and I’m sure – sure – it’s something we’ll come back to. We’ll let you know when the train starts rolling again, bound for Telara or elsewhere, and make sure you have a ticket to ride.

Until then, we’d love if you’d join us for one last show tonight via our Livestream. We’ll be going live at 10:30PM EST on our channel page. Tweet it, share it, and do what you will; we want as many people there as can make it. Stay tuned to our Twitter for to-the-minute updates during pre-show.

Thank you for everything, guys, and a big thank you to our friends at Trion for supporting us throughout it all. Remember to add the site to your RSS readers. We’re staying live here for the foreseeable future, posting as we will, and sharing our adventures in the first MMO of the next-generation.

Cheers,

Chris