MatPat tearfully announces YouTube retirement and fans are shocked

MatPat has tearfully announced that he will retire from his YouTube channels, including Game Theory, in March 2024, leaving fans shocked.

MatPat has been making content on YouTube for over thirteen years, famously uploading his first-ever Game Theory episode back in April 2011.

Since then, it’s been off to the races for the YouTuber, who has launched a bevy of other channels like The Film Theorists, The Food Theorists, and even The Style Theorists over the past decade or so.

Casual viewers might know MatPat best from his viral Game Theory episodes discussing the miles-deep lore of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise (an accomplishment that even saw him snag a cameo role in the movie last year).

Warner Bros. Pictures

MatPat played a cameo role in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie in 2023.

But now, his YouTube empire is coming to an end. Thirteen years and 18 million subscribers later, MatPat has announced that he is officially stepping down from his career as a YouTuber and handing the reins off to “someone else.”

MatPat retires from Game Theory YouTube channel after 13 years

MatPat revealed this news in a January 9 YouTube video, where he tearfully explained his reasons for leaving his career path behind.

“We knew that honestly, we didn’t want to do this forever,” he claimed. “As much as I love you and I love overthinking things, and I love theorizing, I don’t love late nights. I don’t love that Steph and I have been work first for over a decade.”

Ultimately, MatPat feels that he’s missed out on time with his family due to his grueling work schedule on YouTube, saying that his life has “changed” in major ways over the last ten years.

Over the next ten weeks, the Theory channels will host nine more theories before uploading a final video that the YouTuber called ‘MatPat’s Final Theory.’

He also revealed that the Theory channels will be passed on to key members of the team in his absence — but he will remain with the project in creative and directorial roles.

That’s not all; he also claimed he’s starting a “lo-fi mystery series” called ‘Lore-Fi,’ which he’s excited to show off in the future.

While it seems that MatPat isn’t completely stepping back from The Game Theorists or any of his other channels, he will no longer be the face of the company, marking a massive shift that’s leaving fans both somber and excited for the future of the brand.

Creators react to MatPat’s YouTube retirement

A slew of other YouTubers and streamers have given their well-wishes to MatPat following his emotional announcement, with the likes of Quackity, TommyInnit, CouRage, and more expressing both their sadness and happiness over the fate of the channel and MatPat’s upcoming endeavors after March 9.

“Much love MatPat,” wrote TommyInnit. “You are an absolute f*cking king.”

“What an incredible journey,” CouRage tweeted. “Thank you for so many awesome memories. I hope to have the courage one day to take the same leap you are. Congratulations and I know your best times are still ahead. Go enjoy all the family time you can!”

“Please delete the video and say it was a joke, please please please please,” Quackity said.

MatPat is just the latest massive YouTuber to step away from the limelight, following in the footsteps of Tom Scott, who recently retired from weekly uploads after keeping a consistent schedule for ten years.