The thought occurred to me. It's possible, and it's not like we'd ever find out, right?
But who knows. I think it's plenty reasonable to assume he just stepped away and hasn't felt a strong enough pull to return, or has been too busy, or would prefer to work on something in secret for a few years. After all, he's shown a history of being very reclusive (which I relate to). And maybe the email he tied to his Patreon isn't one he normally uses, so he hasn't noticed my messages. Who knows?
If I'm gonna make any assumptions about his well-being, then I'm just gonna hope for the best and assume he's fine. Lusty, if you see this, I hope you're doing well, and you should know that if you ever decide to return, you'll get a warm welcome