Join the Fight: Help Us Find a Cure for MGAMO Syndrome Together
- Fawn Cobalt
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
Have you ever tried to join a group that you wanted or needed to join but you couldn't because of group limits? Have you ever invited someone to join your group and they couldn't join because their groups were maxed out? Please help us find a cure.
MGAMO stands for "My Groups Are Maxed Out" (sometimes referred to colloquially as "My Groups are All Maxed Out"). MGAMO Syndrome is a common and complex condition that affects many Second Life residents across the entire grid. Despite its impact, awareness and research remain limited. This blog post aims to shed light on MGAMO Syndrome, explain why finding a cure is urgent, and show how you can join the fight to make a difference.
What Is MGAMO Syndrome?
MGAMO Syndrome refers to the frustration experienced by SL residents when they are not able to join SL groups or invite others to join their groups due to a resident having hit the platform's arbitrary limit on the number of groups they can join simultaneously.
Symptoms often include:
Inability to join new groups, events, or communities
Constant frustration from hitting the arbitrary maximum group limit set by Linden Lab
Missing out on friends, roles, and in-world activities
Group owners often experience the symptoms as frustration in keeping their businesses growing due to other residents' inability to join their groups
Because MGAMO Syndrome is not well-known, many affected individuals face misunderstanding and lack of support.
How You Can Help
Everyone can play a role in the fight against MGAMO Syndrome. Here are practical ways to get involved:
1. Spread Awareness
Talk about MGAMO Syndrome with friends, family, and social groups. Share reliable information on social media or community boards to increase understanding. Petition Linden Lab to increase or eliminate group limits or find other solutions to this dilemma.
2. Support Travel & Adventure's Proposal to Linden Lab
Fawn Cobalt, the founder and CEO of Travel & Adventure, has posted a proposal to Linden Lab that could help with MGAMO Syndrome. That proposal can be found on the Second Life website at the following URL: https://feedback.secondlife.com/feature-requests/p/give-group-owners-the-option-to-make-their-group-exempt-from-group-limits
You can vote for this proposal to show your support. The more votes that the proposal receives, the more likely it is that Linden Lab could consider it and potentially take action on it. So, every vote counts!!! Click your mouse to help find a cure!
3. Create and Submit Your Own Proposals to Linden Lab
Perhaps you have a different or better idea to help cure MGAMO Syndrome. If so, tell Linden Lab and other SL Residents about it by posting your own proposal on the Second Life website. Perhaps your proposal could be the one that cures MGAMO!!!
4. Join the Travel & Adventure Group
If you are not currently suffering from MGAMO Syndrome and have space available to add new groups, please consider joining the Travel & Adventure group. Join our community and help us in our fight to find a cure!
Historical Timeline of the Group Limit in SL
The maximum number of groups a resident can belong to has evolved over SL's 20+ year history, generally increasing in steps as the platform grew, server tech improved, and user demands rose — though always staying far below what many active users would like.
Early years (2003–~2007/2008): The limit was reportedly as low as 10 groups (or possibly even lower initially). Residents remember this as a very restrictive era when SL was smaller and group features were basic.
Around late 2000s to ~2012: Linden Lab raised it to 25 groups. Many users at the time recall being thrilled by this "huge" increase, as it allowed more participation in the growing ecosystem of communities, stores, clubs, and events.
~2012: The limit jumped to 42 groups for basic (free) accounts. This became the standard for non-premium users for many years and is still fondly (or bitterly) remembered as "the 42 era." Premium accounts got higher limits during this period.
Mid-2010s (e.g., around 2015): Basic accounts stayed at 42, while Premium members enjoyed 60–70 (with some fluctuations; one 2015 reference notes 60 for Premium, later increased).
2019: A notable update increased Premium limits (from 60 to higher, often cited as 70+), but basic accounts remained unchanged at 42 after community feedback pushed back against any reduction or stagnation.
2020s (up to recent years): Limits have seen gradual, tiered increases tied to membership types:
Basic/free accounts: stayed low for a long time (around 42), with small bumps in some updates.
Premium and higher tiers (Plus, Premium Plus): received more substantial boosts.
As of early 2026 (current Linden Lab official limits per their wiki):
Basic members: 50 groups
Plus members: 55
Premium members: 80
Premium Plus members: 150
These numbers reflect ongoing (but slow) improvements, often in response to resident feedback on forums, Reddit, and Linden Lab's feature request system. Even so, highly active users — especially those involved in multiple roleplay sims, merchant groups, event circuits, friends lists, and notification groups — frequently hit these caps and have to "play the drop-and-rejoin game" (leaving one group to join another)..
What the Future Holds
The journey to a cure for MGAMO Syndrome will take time, but every step forward counts. Researchers are exploring innovative treatments. Increased awareness and funding will accelerate these efforts.
By joining the fight, you help create a future where no one is held back by group limits or social isolation caused by MGAMO Syndrome.
The need for a cure is urgent and real. Together, we can break down the barriers that keep people isolated and build a world where everyone can belong. Your support matters—spread the word, support research, and stand with those affected.
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