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Years of work ended not with a release but with silence because of harassment, licensing wars, and community entitlement.
Update 1: The First and Last Update of This Post!
So apparently I got Rick Rollbacked, emulation-style. A buddy tells me, “Hey, DuckStation has a secret rollback netplay build, go ask for it in the dev’s Discord.” Like a gullible idiot, I did. What I walked into was less “beta download” and more “nuclear meltdown.” The place is like a booby trap, one mention of netplay and the dev goes full DEFCON 1. He’s scrubbed the server clean so you can’t even type the word without setting off alarms, and if you do, brace yourself for a tantrum that makes console wars look like a polite debate. Want to prank a friend? Forget sending them a troll link, just send them into that Discord and tell them to ask about netplay. It’s the new Rick Roll of the emulator scene, and yes, he completely lost his mind over it. Keep that in mind when you read the article below. Still, I am in favor of his talent and hard work. We wish him the best!
The Shocking Revelation: Rollback Exists But Will Not Be Released
In a quiet Discord conversation a revelation dropped that floored longtime emulator fans. DuckStation’s developer Stenzek admitted that rollback netplay, the dream feature for online multiplayer PlayStation 1 emulation, was already finished.
This was not speculation or rumor. He confirmed he had fixed determinism issues, tested it, and brought it to a state of working perfection. In his own words he said:
“Well, kinda. I did finish it last year… sorted out the remaining determinism issues, etc. but only for my own satisfaction, I’m never going to release it.”
Rollback netplay has become a gold standard in modern emulation. Used in projects like Fightcade and Dolphin, it allows near perfect synchronization even with latency. For competitive retro games it is revolutionary. DuckStation having it would have been a seismic moment for PlayStation emulation.
And yet the code sits locked away. It is not technical hurdles that hold it back. It is the toll of toxic community behavior, harassment, and exploitation that drained the will of the developer to share it.
DuckStation: The Golden Child of PS1 Emulation
DuckStation is not just any emulator. Since its first public builds around 2019 and 2020, it has been hailed as the most accurate and performant PlayStation 1 emulator ever created.
Fans flocked to it for a simple reason, it worked beautifully. It delivered buttery smooth performance, had a clean interface, and offered accuracy that rivaled long standing emulators like ePSXe and Mednafen. Games that once struggled elsewhere ran flawlessly on DuckStation.
It also became known for scaling beautifully across platforms. From Windows PCs to Linux desktops, from Android phones to the Steam Deck, DuckStation could handle it all. This made it the default choice for a new generation of players rediscovering classics like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, or Crash Bandicoot.
For years the community praised Stenzek as a genius, a solo developer who managed to outpace entire teams. But as DuckStation’s star rose, so did the pressure, entitlement, and drama surrounding its creator.
2022: The First Hiatus RetroArch and Harassment Allegations
The first big crack in the DuckStation story came in February 2022 when the project suddenly went on indefinite hiatus. On ResetEra, a thread titled “DuckStation now on indefinite hiatus (Allegedly from Harassment via RetroArch and others)” exploded with speculation and accusations.
Posts claimed that parts of DuckStation’s private code had been taken, repackaged, and committed to other projects without attribution. RetroArch, the frontend that integrates emulator cores, was accused of enabling this behavior and its leadership was painted as hostile toward independent developers.
His voice summarized it saying:
“Anything I do just gets ripped off by a certain frontend… including code which was never public being committed in someone else’s name.”
For fans it was a gut punch. DuckStation was beloved, and to see its developer retreat due to harassment and alleged code theft was both infuriating and heartbreaking. On ResetEra emotions boiled over, with comments like:
“F*** RetroArch.”
By March 2022 DuckStation returned from hiatus. Development resumed, but the cracks in trust were already showing. The seeds of burnout had been planted.
(Source: ResetEra discussion, February–March 2022)
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February 2022 Indefinite hiatus announced amid RetroArch harassment accusations (ResetEra thread)
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March 2022 Development resumes, fans celebrate (ResetEra follow-up)
Death Threats Over Windows 7
As if licensing disputes and community harassment were not enough, later in November 2022 Stenzek shared a disturbing anecdote in Discord. He had received death threats over supposedly breaking Windows 7 compatibility in PCSX2, another emulator he contributed to.
“Well, I got death threats over allegedly breaking Win7 compatibility… so in a way… lol.”
The tone was weary, almost resigned. What should have been a non issue, dropping support for a long obsolete OS, somehow turned into vitriol and threats. It showed just how toxic the emulation scene can become even over trivial changes.
For someone working for free, donating thousands of hours of personal time, facing this kind of abuse is not just discouraging, it is soul crushing.
2023 and 2024: The License Wars Begin
By late 2023 and into 2024, the focus shifted to licensing. Originally released under GPLv3, DuckStation’s open license meant anyone could fork, redistribute, or even integrate it elsewhere provided they followed attribution rules.
But in practice, Stenzek said, that was not happening. Code was being reused without credit, forks like Swanstation emerged, and worse, there were claims of commercial emulators selling DuckStation’s work with minimal changes.
In September 2024, the license changed to PolyForm Strict, then quickly shifted again to CC-BY-NC-ND, which bans commercial use and derivative works. This was covered by GamingOnLinux in their report: “PlayStation 1 emulator DuckStation changes license for no commercial use and no derivatives”.
The message was clear, DuckStation was no longer truly open source. In Discord, Stenzek explained why:
“I’ve made $0 off DuckStation. In fact, it has cost me several thousands of dollars over the years in hardware, hosting, etc… The fact that others were making money off it without contributing anything back was a serious demotivator.”
For him the license lock was a shield. For the community, it felt like betrayal. The rift widened.
2025: Linux Packaging Drama Easier to Just Walk Away
The most recent blowup came in August 2025. Once again, it was not a bug, but packaging drama that set things off.
Arch Linux users had created AUR packages for DuckStation, but these unofficial builds caused issues. Users then reported bugs that were not the developer’s fault. Stenzek’s patience snapped.
On Discord he announced he was forbidding AUR packages and hinted at something bigger:
“Next step will be removing Linux support entirely, because I’m sick of the headaches and hacks for an operating system that only compromises 2% of the userbase, and I don’t even use myself.”
The statement spread quickly, picked up by Time Extension in their article “It’s easier to just walk away Developer of PS1 emulator DuckStation threatens to end Linux support”.
He later clarified that he was not yet dropping Linux, but admitted he might “just walk away” if the AUR was not resolved. His exact phrasing was:
“Linux support is not being removed from DuckStation, I have no immediate plans to do that… but it’s easier to just walk away.”
The blowback was immediate. Reddit discussions in r/linux and r/emulation accused him of “punishing the many for the sins of the few.” Others sympathized, noting that a single developer cannot realistically police hundreds of package maintainers across dozens of distributions.
Netplay Rollback and the Final Straw
This is the part that stings the most. A friend told me rollback netplay for DuckStation was already complete and even released, and for a moment I thought I had somehow missed the biggest update in PlayStation emulation history. I have been a diehard emulation enthusiast since the 1990s, and the idea of finally getting rollback for PS1 classics made my heart race. But when I went straight to Stenzek to ask, I learned the painful truth.
For years fans begged for netplay. The thought of playing Tekken 3 or Crash Team Racing online with friends across the world was intoxicating. Yet the constant nagging became so overwhelming that Stenzek eventually banned the word “netplay” from his Discord.
“The word netplay is blocked because I got sick of people nagging me about it… doesn’t change the situation, I’m never doing it.”
But behind the scenes, he actually did it. In 2024 he confirmed rollback netplay was finished. Determinism issues were solved. It worked. By every measure, it was done. And yet he refuses to release it, because years earlier someone stole his unfinished code, claimed credit, and even sold it. That betrayal, on top of years of harassment, destroyed his motivation to share it.
“Someone making money off your work is a motivation killer, and this isn’t my job.”
“I’m never going to release it… I don’t feel like spending even more money on DuckStation. It already costs me enough.”
Rollback netplay exists, but it sits locked away, a victim of community toxicity. And here I cannot help myself, I want to beg. Stenzek, please reconsider. Not for the profiteers or the trolls, but for those of us who truly love this hobby, who have carried the emulation flame since the 1990s, who just want to enjoy and preserve the scene. Rollback in DuckStation would be a gift to history itself.
A Timeline of Drama
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2020 to 2021 DuckStation emerges as the best PS1 emulator
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February 2022 Indefinite hiatus announced amid RetroArch harassment accusations (ResetEra thread)
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March 2022 Development resumes, fans celebrate (ResetEra follow-up)
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November 2022 Stenzek admits to receiving death threats over Windows 7 compatibility in PCSX2 (Discord logs)
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2023 to 2024 License changes GPL to PolyForm to CC-BY-NC-ND, backlash follows (GamingOnLinux, September 2024)
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August 2025 AUR packaging drama, threats to drop Linux support entirely (TimeExtension, August 2025)
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2024 quietly Rollback netplay completed privately, never released
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2025 Confirmation in Discord, rollback exists but toxicity ensures it will stay private
Community Reactions Divide and Disillusion
The DuckStation saga has left the community split. On r/emulation, one user lamented:
“The impulse to punish the many to get back at the few is shit behaviour in any context.”
Others pointed out the obvious, this is one man’s hobby, not a corporation. If it costs him money and time while generating only stress and harassment, why should he continue.
In Time Extension’s comment section one reader wrote:
“He’s hugely talented… but him getting into drama with people on the Internet and threatening to [x] with DuckStation? Must be a day ending in y.”
The divide is stark. Some see him as dramatic, thin skinned, or inconsistent. Others see him as a cautionary tale, proof that open source developers need better protection and respect.
The Bigger Lesson Burnout and Fragility in Emulation
DuckStation’s story is not just about one emulator. It is about the fragility of the entire emulation ecosystem.
Emulators are passion projects. They are not funded by billion dollar corporations. They survive only because of unpaid developers giving up their free time. When those developers face harassment, code theft, or community entitlement, the projects can vanish overnight.
Rollback netplay in DuckStation is proof. It exists. It works. And yet it will never be released, not because it failed, but because people failed the developer.
And perhaps the most sobering statement came from Stenzek himself:
“After my experience with DuckStation and interactions like this, I am completely put off from open sourcing any of my future work.”
If true, that means one of the most talented emulator developers of his generation may never release another project to the public.
The Feature That Died to Toxicity
DuckStation is still here. It remains one of the best PS1 emulators ever made. But the story of rollback netplay, finished, polished, and hidden, is a tragedy that should resonate beyond emulation circles.
It is the story of how harassment, exploitation, and community toxicity can kill innovation. It is a warning. If we treat developers like punching bags or free vending machines, eventually they will stop giving us anything at all.
Rollback netplay is done. It exists. But thanks to toxicity, you will never get it.
Some FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is DuckStation? | DuckStation is a PlayStation 1 emulator created by developer Stenzek, known for its high accuracy, performance, and clean interface across Windows, Linux, Android, and Steam Deck. |
| What is rollback netplay? | Rollback netplay is a networking technique that makes online play smoother by correcting for latency. It is used in projects like Fightcade and Dolphin to provide near-perfect multiplayer experiences. |
| Did DuckStation’s developer finish rollback netplay? | Yes. In 2024, Stenzek confirmed he had completed rollback netplay for DuckStation and solved the determinism issues required to make it work. |
| Why has rollback netplay not been released? | The developer refuses to release it due to harassment, community toxicity, and the fact that his unfinished code was previously stolen, repackaged, and even sold by others. |
| Is rollback netplay ever going to be released? | At this time, Stenzek has stated he will never release it, despite it being complete. He has cited lack of motivation, financial burden, and community behavior as the reasons. |
| What was the DuckStation license drama about? | Originally licensed under GPLv3, DuckStation switched to restrictive licenses like PolyForm Strict and CC-BY-NC-ND to prevent commercial misuse and forks, sparking community backlash. |
| Why did DuckStation’s developer threaten to drop Linux support? | In August 2025, Stenzek said he might end Linux support after repeated problems with Arch Linux AUR packages causing bugs and user complaints. He later clarified Linux support is not gone, but he may walk away if issues continue. |
| What happened with RetroArch and DuckStation? | In 2022, drama broke out when Stenzek accused RetroArch of enabling misuse of his code. This led to an indefinite hiatus and fueled long-standing tension between the projects. |
| What role did harassment play in this drama? | Harassment, death threats, and constant nagging for features like netplay have been major factors in the developer’s frustration. These pressures contributed directly to rollback netplay being withheld. |
| What does this mean for the emulation scene? | DuckStation’s story highlights how fragile emulation projects are when dependent on unpaid volunteers. Toxic behavior and exploitation can discourage developers from releasing features or even maintaining their projects. |
Stenzek is a prime example of a toxic developer who’s single-handedly poisoning the emulation scene with his endless drama, code-hoarding, and petty threats to drop support for entire platforms over minor gripes—it’s selfish behavior that stifles innovation and alienates the very community that made DuckStation popular. Instead of rising above the trolls and contributing like a true open-source hero, he locks away completed features like rollback netplay out of spite, proving he’s more interested in playing the victim than preserving retro gaming for everyone. The scene would be better off without his fragile ego holding back progress; time for real devs to fork and move on.
I was one of Stenzek’s biggest defenders, sticking up for him against all the community backlash and toxicity claims, until I actually talked to him in his Discord and realized he embodies every bit of the pettiness and arrogance he’s accused of. The best thing I could do was GET AWAY from that dude and quick. I pray for his immediate family if he treats them the way he treats people he interacts with on the internet.
what happened?
He could not keep it together. So I sent him the link to this article basically showing him that he has an ally! This article is clearly in his defense. He suggested I was making money from his name by writing about him on a site that has ads. This site generates about 3 cents a day on a good day. Hardly enough to pay the server bills. He talks poorly to everyone on his discord. Not someone I want to rub shoulders with!
You were asked multiple times to drop the subject, you wouldn’t. Sten wanted to be left alone, you wouldn’t leave him alone. He simply wants nothing to do with this. Despite all that, he still engaged with you, not knowing you had the ulterior motive of creating a news article… Once he realised that’s what you’re doing, he wasn’t happy, because he’s had endless amount of grief from so called “white knights” creating content at his expense.
It seemed however when your news article was deleted within the discord, your attitude changed, you posted it without any regard to the rules. “No self promotion without asking a staff member” – why didn’t you ask first pray tell?
The point is, you were asked multiple times to leave the subject alone, Sten did not want a news article over past drama, didn’t want a closed wound to be re-opened, didn’t want users to be coming back stirring up trouble because it’s precisely this kind of attitude that brings the trolls out, that brings the harassment out, that brings the toxic culture out that you claim you’re defending against.
Here are some quotes of being asked to drop the subject that you didn’t show in your screenshot directly after (I’ve masked usernames of others other than what you’ve already posted):-
dmb062082 — Yesterday at 12:49
Wait I want to know who is being a sh*t bag. 😉 Maybe I can blow them up a little bit!
User — Yesterday at 12:50
chill, we’re not going to start any witch hunts
User — Yesterday at 12:50
I dunno if dragging up something from 2 years ago is worthwhile
Stenzek — Yesterday at 12:50
indeed 😉
User — Yesterday at 12:50
We all got enough shit going on (probably)
Stenzek — Yesterday at 12:51
for a while now my attitude has very much been “I’m only going to work on the things I find fun/interesting”, rather than “so and so wants X”
dmb062082 — Yesterday at 12:51
Well, this is news to me. If someone stole your hard work, sold or banked from it, that is one thing. But if it directly impacts your love for the project, that is terrible. Is this guy a ghost or is he hanging around. That is nuts.
User — Yesterday at 12:52
It’s also about preventing a culture of pirates too
Stenzek — Yesterday at 12:52
especially a cetain group with a name that starts with F, who paywalls access to free emulators
(and violates the non-commercial clauses in things like snes9x)
absolutely rife with piracy
don’t want any association with that 😛
dmb062082 — Yesterday at 12:54
I am so out of touch you would have to spell it out for me. I have been an emulation nut since the late 90s, but the past few years, probably the past ten, life has taken over. So I do not pay attention to the drama that is always around this scene. But this is an interesting story, I will not lie. I would like to hear it all some day. If it is a sore subject we can can it.
Are you the creator of duckstation? I assume you are. What other projects do you work on?
Everyone in the server was friendly towards you, engaging in topics such as playing games with family or playing on old hardware and what memories people share.
And last but not least
Stenzek — 05:23
I’m not going to argue about this, I’m friggin sick of people making videos/articles/whatever about my stuff and stirring up drama
and they end up getting paid for it through ads or whatever
leave me the fuck out of it
dmb062082 — 05:25
Well the article was well thought out, respectful and in defense of you. But it really had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with something much bigger than yourself!
Stenzek — 05:25
I don’t need defending
I need to be left the heck alone
like I said yesterday, this stuff was over 2 years ago
So how do you take this? What are we supposed to do? He’s under no obligation to provide software and he wants to protect himself from further abuse by preventing being exploited. Is that really so bad? Netplay is a modern feature that never existed on the hardware so it does nothing at all for preservation and is completely unnecessary. Another question, why would you suggest “I can blow them up a little”? What does that even mean? You want to incite violence?
And to end it all off, you left the server with obscenities, real professional journalism right there.
Like I said I only tried to be respectful to that guy. I came in there asking a simple question and wow did I wish I hadn’t. There were about 50 more pieces to our dialogue that show how difficult he was to talk to. I left the server and have no interest in returning to screenshot any of it. I apologized to that guy and tried to change the subject but he kinda locked onto me. I do not care anymore. It is a dead issue. I went there hoping to learn and even make some friendships, and found a ugly place that I am glad I backed out of. I am not removing the article. I feel it is fair, balanced and shows no ill will toward the developer. I wish him the best.