Shanks, here. Just giving you guys an update on the current situation of Rise. First of all, I apologize for the radio silence and lack of communication. The good news is that Rise isn’t being dropped. We’ll be coming back on September 15th. Why that specific date? It’s because I’ll be moving back to university on the 14th, so I want to give myself at least a day to get settled in. Rested and refreshed. Hopefully.

Anyway, with that out of the way, I’ll give a little explanation on what happened. We initially went on hiatus because of Devshard’s exam, and we were planning to come back right after it was finished on August 23rd, which also happened to coincide with Sietse coming back from his holiday. Sadly, things don’t always go as planned.

While we were in the middle of us preparing to come off hiatus, Sietse informed us that he was leaving Rise and moving on with his life. That’s why we ended up taking this extended break. Devshard and I have been trying to get our bearings straight and figure out how we’re going to continue this project without Sietse. 

Sietse and I have had an amazing four years working together before on Rebirth Thief and now on Rise. The time we’ve spent on Rise together has especially been a joy for me. The banter we’ve had on the Translator Thoughts, reacting to each other’s stories, or just goofing off in general will always remain as fond memories in my heart.

I’ve watched Sietse transform from a guy who’d regularly mess up basic English or Dutchify it in weird ways to an amazing editor that always elevated the quality of my translations to a whole nother level. While I’m gutted about his departure, I respect his choice and wish him the best going forward. I’ve seen his work ethic firsthand, and know how hard he works in improving himself. So, I’m sure he’ll do amazingly in whatever he pursues next in life. So, adieu, Sietse Thundercock. I’ll miss you.

However, as they say, the show must go on! We’ve got a lot planned for Rise, and with me back on campus, that means I’ll have more free time to host community events, games, and streams! So, I look forward to seeing you all again on the 15th!