One of the most popular modern horror game franchises in is being celebrated on social media, asFive Nights at Freddy’sfans recognize the original game’s release seven years ago today. Twitter and other social media platforms are filled with adoring messages and fanart from across the world, all of which are marked with the #FNAF hashtag. These posts are showing just how muchFive Nights at Freddy’shas meant to so many video game fans, even as the franchise and its community faces a crisis of conscience.
Five Nights at Freddy’slaunched seven years ago on August 8 exclusively for the PC platform. It was developed solely byScott Cawthon, a game developer and animator who had been creating content since the 1990s. Criticism of his early work nearly drove Cawthon to stop creating games. Instead, he ultimately used the criticism about his game characters looking like animatronic robots for the foundation ofFive Nights at Freddy’s.
RELATED:Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Terrifying New Trailer
To sayFive Nights at Freddy’swas an instant success wouldn’t be entirely correct, because the game became a cult hit even before it launched. In 2014, PC games had to go through Steam’s rigorousSteam Greenlight program, which required a generous following of fans to get approval. As such, Cawthon released a demo just weeks ahead of launch, instantly building a cult following due to viral Let’s Play videos on YouTube. The full game’s release only cemented its popularity.
SinceFive Nights at Freddy’slaunch in 2014, Cawthon’s franchise has released ten titles in the main series, three spin-offs, a trilogy of novels, twelveFazbear Frightsanthology books, and even has a major film in production. Its growth is rare if not unprecedented in the gaming industry, particularly considering its origins stemming from a single game developer. It also goes to show that even a single person can connect with millions of gamers across the world through a very simple idea.
Unfortunately, asFive Nights at Freddy’sreaches its seventh anniversary, it also has reached a crisis.Scott Cawthon has retiredafter a recent controversy revolving around his political donations. The situation has left many fans ofFive Nights at Freddy’sconflicted about their support of Cawthon and the series over the years. As such, the franchise’s future is in limbo.
There are clearly manyFive Nights at Freddy’sfanswho have either decided to embrace their love of the franchise despite its problematic creator, or that the conflict isn’t worth being concerned about. The #FNAF hashtag has gone viral, proving thatFive Nights at Freddy’sremains incredibly popular, and it has undeniably left its mark on video games with its seven years of experiences. Ultimately, it may be up to the fans what happens withFive Nights at Freddy’snext.
Five Nights at Freddy’sis available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
MORE:10 Mistakes Everyone Makes On Their First Playthrough Of Five Nights At Freddy’s
