> Although we know Hacktoberfest t-shirts are loved by the community, producing over 50,000 t-shirts and shipping them around the world has become logistically challenging. Even with the support of external sponsors, almost all of the program’s operating budget in past years has been allocated towards these physical rewards. Furthermore, we’ve run into challenges in many countries with participants being required to pay customs taxes and import duty fees which often exceed the value of the gift itself.

Which is then immediately contradicted by the following FAQ:

> I REPRESENT, OR KNOW OF, A COMPANY THAT COULD DO YOUR T-SHIRT FULFILLMENT REALLY INEXPENSIVELY. ... We have made the move away from using t-shirts as a reward in the interests of making global delivery of rewards simpler and to ensure Hacktoberfest continues supporting and raising awareness for open-source projects worldwide for years to come.

Disappointing really. Always looked forward to the cool designs and having a complete set for each year back-to-back. Not sure why they can't let people just opt-in purchase the shirt if they qualify.