Why Ads Are Back on Project Pokemon Forums and Whether Patrons Are Exempt

Ads returned because Patreon income had not covered the site's server costs for several months, so the forum reintroduced advertising to help pay for hosting. Active patrons are exempt from ads regardless of how the ad setup is finalized. If you are a patron and still see ads while signed in, you are asked to report it by DM or through the Contact Us form.

What the forum announced

In the July 29, 2026 announcement "Website Updates July 2026," administrator evandixon explained the reasoning directly:

• Patreon support had not met server costs for several months.
• Ads were brought back to help pay for hosting.
• The specifics of the ad setup would be "fine tuned over the next few days/weeks."
• Anyone who is an active patron will be exempt "no matter what."

The same post also covers an unrelated account change: sign-in was scheduled to switch from username + password to email + password on September 1st, ahead of a major forum software upgrade.

Are patrons exempt?

Yes. The announcement states that active patrons are exempt from ads no matter how the ad configuration ends up being tuned. That exemption is tied to being an active patron, not to any particular ad placement or setting.

What to do if you are a patron and still see ads

The post gives three ways to report it:

1. Send a DM on the forum site.
2. Send a DM on Patreon.
3. Use the Contact Us form at the bottom of the page.

Reporting is the intended step here — the announcement treats patron ads as a problem to be fixed, not an expected outcome.

Why this matters beyond the ads

The ad change is framed as a hosting-cost measure, not a policy shift about the site's content or access. The forum remains the same community resource; the difference is how hosting gets funded. The accompanying sign-in change (email + password) is a separate item from the same announcement and is driven by the upcoming Invision Community 5 upgrade, not by the ad decision.

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