The founder of the Visual Novel Database (VNDB), Yorhei, has been announced to have passed away on March 17, 2026.
Yorhei created this now-iconic website in September 2007, which has been continuously updated to compile the ever-evolving lineup of visual novels. Contributor beliar, who shared the news on the VNDB forums, confirmed that the moderation team is working on “certain channels to preserve the website,” but further details have not yet been shared.
For those who have never used VNDB, it essentially functions as a wiki, allowing users to freely add to the database for transparency and accuracy. Its importance to fans of the medium cannot be overstated, as English resources for these titles are few and far between.
Thanks to Kars for sharing this news.