Director's Statement

This project was one that started long before I realized it.

As an avid board-gamer, I had just learned to play Android: Netrunner and added it to my collection when the news came that it was abruptly ending. I showed up, spur of the moment, to the final Worlds tournament with my camera to try to capture what I had been missing.

I interviewed about 40 different people from all walks of life and from around the globe, had a very interesting and inspiring weekend... and then I put the footage on my server and went on with my life (raising two kids as a divorced dad, freelance work, etc).

As I’d cycle through my games, Netrunner would come out and I’d check up on what was happening with the players and see how the volunteers were continuing to put out their “compatible expansions” to the game. They were still meeting at game stores, still playing online, and talking to and supporting each other. They were, as they promised, keeping their favorite game alive.

Eventually, years later now, a work contract ended and I had some free time so I started going through old footage and suddenly I had cut together a very touching half-hour story about the end of the game.

But I knew the players were doing much more, and perhaps had reached a point where I needed to revisit the story and hear a little bit on how they managed to become a non-profit volunteer-based game publisher. So I attended Worlds 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and once again interviewed about 40 players.

This film does not try to tell a comprehensive Netrunner history (because it had a whole previous life years before the FFG days and there are so many people who have done their part in keeping Netrunner going), rather I present my camera to the players, at two pivotal points in the game’s life, and capture the event, the experience, the percolating thoughts of those who paused and shared their personal Netrunner world with me.

My approach was to let things unfold organically. Sure, I had a few key people I knew I would get on camera again, but I wanted the follow-up to play out as naturally as possible, just like the first tournament. Perhaps other, better filmmakers would've taken a different approach, but I hope I've done justice to the players and the scene.

This game, this community of gamers, literally moved me to share their story, even though I'm on the fringes of the scene. I've watched the footage so many times during post-production and there are still moments that get a reaction out of me. Netrunners have shown me that kindness and empathy and all flavors of humanity still exist, and I have hope and belief that you, too, will find your place, your people, in this world.

In closing, I would like to dedicate this documentary to all the diverse and the neuro-spicy game nerds out there, but especially to all the LGBTQ gamers.

-Jeremy Wilker
Twin Cities, Minnesota, August 2026