For over a decade, Matthew Patrick, better known online as MatPat, has churned out countless videos regarding the lore of countless video game titles on The Game Theorists YouTube channel. 

What began as a silly channel started by Mat and his wife Stephanie in 2011 for a bunch of avid video game fans to share theories about characters and plotlines has amassed quite the following, currently sitting at over 18.4 million subscribers. They have also successfully branched out to create three other channels, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and most recently, Style Theorists that produce similar videos focusing on their respective genres.

In his latest video titled Goodbye Internet, MatPat revealed that March 9 will be his final day for hosting the beloved online series. Through teary eyes, he spoke of the channel’s legacy and how it has remarkably changed his life. But like other online creators who have stepped away from the limelight, he cites how the work-first attitude has led him to his decision. “We knew that honestly, we didn’t want to do this forever,” claims MatPat. “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.”

Indeed, over the decade, much of the Internet has found fun in watching MatPat formulate theories on beloved video game titles. His most popular videos center around the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, talking about the game’s lore and how its events transpired. His influence online has many quoting or referencing him whenever the word “theory” is brought up. His reach has even gone as far enough to get him invited to the Vatican in 2016, where he gifted Pope Francis a copy of the video game Undertale. 

In the last year, MatPat has gone through peaks in his career. His hosting stint at the 2023 Streamy Awards made it the most-watched show for the event in its 13-year run, as over 15 million viewers tuned in. He also made a special cameo appearance in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. “For me, and my journey in this place, I always wanted to go out on a high note,” says MatPat. He likens his passing of the torch moment to how the Doctor Who franchise features a new reincarnation for new generations to enjoy. 

MatPat isn’t the only YouTuber to enter retirement in recent times. Tom Scott, best known for his science and educational content, recently announced a semi-retirement, opting out of constant weekly uploads.

CaptainSparklez, an icon in the Minecraft YouTube community, also decided it was time to wind down from creating Minecraft video content. Even PewDiePie, once hailed as the King of YouTube for previously being the site’s most subscribed individual, has been in semi-retirement in the last few years, choosing only to upload when he feels like it and sticking to a vlog format rather than his usual Let’s Play format. 

Bittersweet as it is to see notable content creators taking a step back, it’s probably for the best as it allows them to live their lives as they please. At the end of the day, to be a true fan means wanting to see the best play out for those we follow.

Although MatPat’s semi-retirement marks the end of an era, there’s hope that this will spark a new wave of creators ready to take on the reins and form their own similar videos… But that’s just a theory.