Chub stands at the forefront of uncensored online AI roleplay. It’s a sanctuary for many who have moved from more restrictive platforms. The platform’s policies, combined with its approach of giving users control over all user-generated content, have made it the de facto bridge between local and online AI roleplay.
For many, it serves as a repository for character cards. Creators upload character cards to share their work, and users download them from Chub to chat using other frontends.
A UI Change On Chub’s Character Pages
On September 9, 2025, Chub’s developers made a relatively minor UI change to the characters’ display page. They moved the buttons for downloading the character card. It used to be placed below the character’s image, where it attracted everyone’s attention.
The download button could be found further down on the page, below all the character-related information. The ‘Save’ button was next to options like Fork and Favorite, and was now just a small button that didn’t stand out.
Although this was a minor change, Chub’s users were used to seeing the big, bold PNG and JSON buttons below the character’s image. It also helped new users realize they could download character cards.
Several users’ initial reaction to the UI change was to assume that Chub is making it more obscure to download character cards.
Why The Change Upset Several Users
Chub’s users are sensitive to changes, especially those they view as deviating from the platform’s principles. It’s because they’ve seen several platforms make small changes that eventually lead to major policy changes.
To them, the UI change on Chub set off alarm bells. The first step was making it more obscure to download character cards, and eventually, Chub would remove the feature altogether. Others also assumed that the developers made the change to encourage users to use Chub’s frontend.
There were several threads on Reddit [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] discussing this issue, along with harsher criticism of the UI change on Chub’s Discord.
Chub is actually one of the good sites, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet.
Quick_Save, r/SillyTavernAI.
Chub hasn’t made changes to its platform that move away from its principles, and the developers have consistently maintained that they won’t make policy changes to the site to please anyone. However, that didn’t stop some users from claiming this was the beginning of a slippery slope toward a different Chub.
People Don’t Like Change
The UI change on Chub made sense from the developers’ perspective. More users use Chub as their frontend compared to those who just download character cards. Moving the buttons next to other options, such as Fork and Favorite, was logical.
The download buttons had been in a prominent position for a long time, and users were used to seeing them there. A sudden change felt unnecessary. It sparked a bigger controversy due to concerns that the developers had made the change with a hidden agenda.
Rolled Back Within A Day
Lore, one of Chub’s developers, posted an announcement on Chub’s Discord on September 10, 2025, stating that he rolled back the change.
I’m embarrassed to have to ping for this, but I’ve moved the download button back below the character image as moving it down set off everyone’s understandable chatbot site PTSD.
Lore, Chub’s Developer, Discord announcement.
The controversy ended with both sides winning. The developers achieved their goal of decluttering the UI below the character card, and users got the download button back where they wanted it most. Instead of two separate buttons, it is now a single drop-down button.
The developers rolling back the change shows they listen to the community, regardless of how unreasonable some users were in this situation. Making UI and UX changes is challenging for any developer, but when you have a user base as invested and resistant to change as Chub’s, it becomes even more difficult.
Why A UI Change On Chub Upset Several Users
Chub is used by many as a repository for character cards, and several of its users came from other platforms that they saw going downhill. Although the developers had no ill intentions behind the UI change on Chub’s characters’ display page, it sparked quite a controversy.
Users viewed the change as an attempt to obscure downloading character cards and as the beginning of a slippery slope towards Chub making further policy changes. The backlash was the harshest on Discord.
The developers rolled back the change within a day, and the final outcome was something that everyone could be happy with.
