MUGENMASON

(Editors footnote: Due to the anonymity of the collective creators discussed here, no permission was given to create this article and will be removed  if there is any objection by any of the collective discussed)

MUGENMASON or "無限メーソン- mu-gen-mee-son" is a pseudonym /moniker/handle alias used by an unknown number of anonymous mugen creators. Until early 2013, it was assumed that MUGENMASON was a New York based Mugen content creator whom was killed during East Coast storm Sandy in late 2012. However, this among many other identity claims have never been confirmed, and despite this, activity under the MUGENMASON handle via several web accounts has continued to this day. Collectively known as MUGENMASON, little is known about these individual creators, or their identities inside or outside the wider mainstream mugen community. However, it is certain that activity under the MUGENMASON alias has been present within the mugen community since as early as 2002.

Despite controversy and speculation regarding who or what MUGENMASON is, there is a general consensus on the matter among a number of informed mugen community members, all whom maintain that MUGENMASON is a "doppelganger" or "collective" persona used by an unspecified number of affiliated mugen creators, all of whom operate outside the mainstream mugen community on collaborative mugen projects with the intent of maintaining secrecy and anonymity.

Older Creations (offline)
MUGENMASON is known mainly for several Winmugenplus stage releases showcased on youtube between 2005-2009. All known MUGENMASON youtube accounts predating 2008 have been removed/deleted. The oldest remaining account at the time of this article dates back to 2008. Most videos on the oldest account have been deleted but some videos showcasing MUGENMASON stages remain on this account.

Stages (Winmugenplus)

 * Saphire Diamond
 * AH EX - Halloweed
 * Megalopolis Dentetsu
 * Epic Suntastic (video removed)
 * Ayutaya EX (video removed)
 * Ayutaya Shakunetsu (video removed)
 * Rakan no haka (video removed)
 * Shrine O Chonshu (video set to private)
 * Deva King Valley
 * Masonists Barrier

Screenpacks (offline?)
MUGENMASON screenpack edits have been briefly seen in some videos, however again due to account deletion and secretive nature of MUGENMASON activities, it is not known whether these screenpack projects were ever completed or released. In 2011, a mugen 1.0 Screenpack w.i.p preview was uploaded to the MUGENMASON channel, and in 2013 after a 3 year hiatus, another screenpack wip video was posted on the channel, this time of a mugen 1.1 screenpack.
 * Mugen 1.0 hd screenpack preview
 * Mugen 1.1 1080p screenpack preview

Newer Creations (online)
Post 2014, a separate MUGENMASON youtube account entitled "MUGENMASON 322" showcasing Mugen 1.1 specific content was created. The channel account contains download links directing to newagemugen forums, and also cite some newagemugen forum members as authors/collaborators, however the relationship between newagemugen, the cited usernames and the MUGENMASON youtube channel is not officially known.

Stages (Mugen 1.1 as of Oct'2015)

 * MM SVPHIR3DIVMXND1.1Z MM
 * M MLG420SKYCVRT1.1 MM
 * MM ARCVNAG3N$H0U MM
 * MMSVPH1R3D1VMXND1.1-L3G3NDMM

History
Much like the individual/s, the origin of the name is unknown, however, it is feasible the name is a Portmanteau of MUGEN and MASON - an obvious reference to "Mugen", and secondly, The Masonic order of Freemasonry. This theory is supported by the frequent use of masonic symbolism such as squares, compasses, self-engulfing serpents, skulls, masonic numerology ("322", "333" and "666"). Such symbolism has been seen in MUGENMASON stages, avatars and signatures. The public perception of Freemasonry being an esoteric, secretive fraternity may also be a metaphor for the secretive nature of this collective of mugen creators.

Some posts found on cached, defunct french, Brazilian, and Japanese Mugen websites suggest that the "MUGENMASON" moniker has been used within the mugen community dating back to at least 2002. Multilingual posts (English, simplified Chinese, and Japanese) by user/s named MUGENMASON have been also been seen on mugenchina forums, 2diyer forums, and numerous Japanese mugen websites.

Controversy
There has been much controversy surrounding the identity of MUGENMASON, and speculation regarding several users maintained to be the true persona operating under the handle.

In 2008, rumors circulated on youtube suggested MUGENMASON was an alias used by a Mexican hacker named Metroker who gained notoriety within the Latino Mugen community. In 2009, it was similarly rumored that MUGENMASON was actually a Spanish/Latino you-tube user named Heil88mugen/realHeilns, and that Heil88mugen, realheilns and MUGENMASON were all actually Metroker. In 2012 it was rumored that one person believed to be MUGENMASON was killed in East Coast storm Sandy in New York.

In 2009, users under the aliases of Willamason/Willamasonic/williamasterno1 made several posts on mugenguild, elecbyte, and mugeninfantry claiming affiliation to an individual called MUGENMASON, however  these claims were later debunked and it was revealed that all of the above aliases of a single user acting alone named "William" or "winmugen09" - a known member of numerous mugen forums.

Similarly in 2013, users under the aliases of Drakenstorms/Zayyidawwal made several posts on mugenguild, elecbyte, and mugeninfantry claiming affiliation to an individual called MUGENMASON in an attempt to acquire some previously unreleased screenpack content. It was again later revealed to be user "William" or "winmugen09" - a known user on numerous mugen forums.

With the only known contact point being youtube, The oldest MUGENMASON youtube channel predates 2007 and was rumored to have dated back to mid 2005, however was deleted shortly before the creation of a new channel in September 2008, which still exists today. Unofficial sources suggest that pre-2007 youtube accounts still exist for some MUGENMASON collective members, under such monikers as "Mugenmaster" or "Mugenmasterno1" however at the time of this article, the channel has been abandoned for over 5 years with a mysterious message regarding identity fraud on the about page, hence this cannot be confirmed as fact.

(This article is incomplete - external links and images to be added at a later date)