I don't know what it is with AVNs, but as they gain more popularity and support, their update frequency takes a massive dive. Like, is every popular VN dev milking/scamming their audience, or do they take on more than they can handle, do they work less as they gain more money & support, are they thinking too ambitiously, are they incompetent with balancing work/life, does every single one of them really suffer through all the misfortunes and problems, do they not take proper care of their mental and physical health? It could be one of these reasons, or a mix of them all, I wish I knew. But no big and popular VN is exempt from this, at least that I know of; seeing this sort of collectively reactive behaviour to popularity and steady support, is puzzling.
I'm not supporting any of these devs, I'm just a broke pirate, so I'm not demanding anything, I just wish to understand what causes this decline in update frequency. But, I know there are some genuine devs out there, and sometimes tragedy and bad luck strikes unexpectedly; life is unfair and unequal in meting out misfortune.
Mental health issues and burnout are too common among VN devs, it comes with the kind of job they do, and where they work at. If you're working from home all the time, your schedule is likely not as regular as an office-goers, you're not taking the best care of your health, there's a chance you're not getting enough exercise & sunlight (which can lead to depression), improper management of expectations vs reality and taking on too much workload can lead to burnout, and so many other complications could hamper your work.
I just wish the people who bring some joy and entertainment in our lives, would take better care of themselves, so they can keep doing so, and hopefully flourish in life.