Xarcade! (c)

Xarcade!© Forum History

Xarcade!© is a forum founded by AlienGirl05 in early 2022. Through dedication and hard work, it quickly grew to become one of the top game forums by mid-2022. By 2023, it had reached the status of the #1 user-created game forum, continuing its reign into 2024 as the most active forum of its kind.

Key Contributors and Staff

Throughout 2022 and early 2023, many influential members joined the forum, including bpan2021, who became the forum's co-owner after joining in early March 2022. adrastea, awesomeming327., and RoyalCactus played pivotal roles in managing corruption issues, while awesomeming327. developed the rule system that still governs the forum today.

Among the original staff members, AlienGirl05, rct2021, ElectricWolverine, and NSAoPS remain active, though other early staff have since returned.

History of Xarcade!

The first thread, titled "Xarcade WELCOME!!!", was created by AlienGirl05 on January 11, 2022, at 12:29 AM EST. The following threads included "Xarcade GIVEAWAYS!!!", "Xarcade BANK!!!", and countless games, with the first game being Doctor Office.

On January 15, 2022, Ikeguy was the first user to join, followed by ElectricWolverine twelve hours later. A few days later, on January 18, yume_mita joined. The forum’s growth continued, with more games created and users joining, which led to its rapid rise in the rankings.

By March 2022, over 50 new members joined, and Xarcade! became the second-most popular user-created forum. By the end of April, bpan2021 became the first member to surpass 1000 XB, breaking the previous record of LAFILLEDEPARIS, who had around 650 XB.

May 2022: Milestones and Changes

In May 2022, the forum saw significant changes. Major administrators MinecraftArchitect and RhinocerosHornbill resigned due to increasing conflicts and abuse of power, including MinecraftArchitect's controversial actions against the LGBTQ community and other staff members.

On May 7, bpan2021 announced that Xarcade! Splashes of Color had surpassed all other threads in both posts and views. Shortly after, the forum claimed its spot as the #1 user-created forum. By May 14, bpan2021 reached an incredible 4000 XB, and the forum hit 100 members by May 16, 2022. During this time, bpan2021 was promoted from moderator to admin.

Some notable members who joined around this time include foxjhl, RoyalCactus, TinyBlackBug, and ChrisalonaLiverspur.

On May 19, ElectricWolverine introduced taxing, and the popular game series The War made its return.

Issues and Corruption

As the forum grew, so did its challenges. One major issue was the rule system, which many felt was unfair, especially as staff members began to use their power in questionable ways. Another issue was corruption, which was partly exacerbated by the flawed ruleset.

Before June 2022, bpan2021 controversially issued multiple warnings to yume_mita for swearing, amassing a total of 12 warnings. He also banned RoyalCactus for the same reason, causing tensions to rise.

As a result, several users, including RoyalCactus, ChrisalonaLiverspur, and adrastea (who had a different username at the time), began to speak out against the corruption, criticizing both the staff and bpan2021 for their actions.

Throughout June, tensions escalated as accusations of favoritism and rule violations were thrown around. bpan2021 was accused of issuing warnings selectively, even though he had broken the rules himself. As the arguments raged on, the discussion shifted toward the fairness and enforcement of the rules.

The Deleted Posts Incident

On June 3, bpan2021 was the first to notice that over 50 posts had been deleted from the Welcome thread. While many blamed bpan2021—due to his proximity to the incident—he denied any involvement, stating that he would never have deleted posts.

The accusations turned into a heated debate, with adrastea (who was later known by a different username) taking the lead in pushing the narrative that bpan2021 was guilty. Despite his arguments, many users sided with adrastea, while others defended bpan2021.

In an attempt to get clarity, one user reached out to the AoPS Sheriff, hoping to resolve the situation. To the relief of bpan2021 and others, the AoPS Sheriff confirmed that they were responsible for the deleted posts, bringing an end to the debate.

Conclusion

By mid-2022, Xarcade! had grown into a thriving community despite its internal struggles. The issues surrounding corruption and rule enforcement led to a reorganization of the staff, with a new focus on fairness and transparency. As of 2024, Xarcade! remains one of the most active and successful user-created game forums, continuing to evolve with the help of its passionate community.