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{{Short description|Video game developer}}{{pp|small=yes}}{{Multiple issues|{{Original research|date=January 2023}}{{POV|date=November 2023}}}}{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}

factoids

| birth_place = Bell County, Texas, U.S.Animatorauthorfilm producer}}| years_active = 1994–present| known_for = Five Nights at Freddy’s| party = | children = 6| website = }}Scott Braden Cawthon (born June 4, 1978) is an American video game developer, writer, and producer. He is best known for creating Five Nights at Freddy’s, a series of survival horror video games which expanded into a media franchise.Cawthon began his career developing family-friendly Christian video games to minimal success. He transitioned to horror with the first Five Nights at Freddy’s game in 2014, which was a commercial success and gained a cult following. Cawthon developed seven games in the main series and four spin-offs as of 2023. Outside of the games, Cawthon wrote several stories for the franchise, including novels and the screenplay for the 2023 film, which he also produced.

Career

Early work

A devout Christian, Cawthon began his career in game development making self-funded Christian adventure games. Cawthon’s first professional game was called Iffermoon. He attended the Art Institute of Houston in 1996, where he learned how to create computer graphics, but taught himself to develop games using the engine Clickteam Fusion. A member of a group of Christian artists known as Hope Animation,WEB, Rubio, Juan, March 17, 2018, Grandes juegos realizados por una sola persona,vandal.elespanol.com/reportaje/grandes-juegos-realizados-por-una-sola-persona, March 6, 2023, Vandal, es-es, Cawthon also made animated Christian films.WEB, Morgan, Joe, October 25, 2014, Scott Cawthon - Christian Developer Spotlight,www.geeksundergrace.com/gaming/developer-spotlight-scott-cawthon/, March 6, 2023, Geeks Under Grace, Cawthon’s more notable religious projects included Pilgrim’s Progress (2012) and The Desolate Hope (2012). Based on the religious allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress is a JRPG-like game with enemies such as Beelzebub, Apollyon, Shame, and Giant Despair. The Desolate Hope is a top-down role-playing game with turn-based battles. Set in a “dark, brooding, and twisted industrial landscape”, the dystopian story follows a robotic coffee pot who must rescue a fetus being used as a scientific specimen.NEWS, Smith, Adam, April 30, 2012, Rise of the Coffee Bots: The Desolate Hope, Rock Paper Shotgun,www.rockpapershotgun.com/rise-of-the-coffee-bot-the-desolate-hope, October 28, 2023, WEB, Ehrhardt, Michelle, February 1, 2016, The many failures of the Five Nights At Freddy’s creator,killscreen.com/previously/articles/the-many-failures-of-the-five-nights-at-freddys-creator/, March 5, 2023, Kill Screen, Rock Paper Shotgun praised the game’s art style, describing it as akin to a “glorious artifact from the nineties, hand-crafted [and] bizarre”. Kill Screen later wrote that the themes of adventure and the unique art style of Cawthon’s early works would reappear in some of his later projects such as FNaF World (2016). After the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014), The Desolate Hope received both attention and criticism for its plot’s perceived pro-life message, although Cawthon later clarified that the game “was not designed with abortion specifically in mind.“Cawthon’s Christian games were generally well received but were not financially successful enough to support his wife and two children. He reluctantly stopped making religious games and instead produced cheap computer games and free-to-play mobile titles which could provide him with a steady source of income.WEB, Marsh, Calum, October 25, 2023, A Reclusive Horror Designer Pivoted From Religious Games,www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/arts/five-nights-at-freddys-scott-cawthon.html, limited, October 28, 2023, The New York Times, WEB, Hernandez, Patricia, February 7, 2015, Why Five Nights At Freddy’s Is So Popular,www.kotaku.com.au/2015/02/why-five-nights-at-freddys-is-so-popular-explained/, live,www.kotaku.com.au/2015/02/why-five-nights-at-freddys-is-so-popular-explained/," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304043513www.kotaku.com.au/2015/02/why-five-nights-at-freddys-is-so-popular-explained/,">web.archive.org/web/20160304043513www.kotaku.com.au/2015/02/why-five-nights-at-freddys-is-so-popular-explained/, March 4, 2016, December 25, 2020, Kotaku, Calum Marsh, in his profile of Cawthon for The New York Times, wrote that these games “might bring in $40 or $50 each month”. He also took on programming and retail work.WEB, Crecente, Brian, July 25, 2015, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator talks about life after Dollar General, the stress of success,www.polygon.com/2015/7/29/9067151/five-nights-at-freddys-success, March 6, 2023, Polygon (website), Polygon, In 2013, Cawthon submitted the family-friendly game Chipper & Sons Lumber Co. to Steam Greenlight. It was a resource management title featuring anthropomorphic animals; the player character was a beaver. However, players and reviewers such as Jim Sterling ridiculed the game because they thought the characters were unintentionally “creepy” and resembled “scary” animatronics. One writer later described it as an example of the uncanny valley.WEB, Bullard, Benjamin, October 25, 2023, The Origin of Five Nights at Freddy’s: How an Indie Video Game Became a Blockbuster Horror Movie,www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/the-video-game-origins-of-the-five-nights-at-freddys-movie, October 28, 2023, NBC News, Cawthon’s financial situation and Chipper & Sons overwhelming criticism led to him becoming depressed. He thought that he had squandered his life by becoming a game developer and attempted to pursue other professions. Cawthon underwent a crisis of faith: “Either God didn’t exist, or God hated me.” When his life insurance policy got cancelled after the company found out that he had expressed suicidal ideation to his doctor, he realized that “now even my death had no value” and asked God to “use me somehow”. With his faith restored, Cawthon took inspiration from Chipper & Sons reception and decided to make something intentionally scarier. This was the impetus for Five Nights at Freddy’s.Five Nights at Freddy’s“>

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Video games

Cawthon submitted Five Nights at Freddy’s to Steam’s Greenlight system in summer 2014, releasing a trailer and later a demo. He then submitted it to IndieDB, where it gained popularity, and submitted the game a third time to Desura. The game was accepted in Steam’s Greenlight in August 2014. The game was well received by critics,WEB,www.metacritic.com/game/five-nights-at-freddys/critic-reviews/?platform=pc, Five Nights at Freddy’s for PC Reviews, Metacritic, April 13, 2023, and became the subject of numerous popular Let’s Play videos on YouTube. A sequel, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, was released later that year on Steam. Soon after the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Cawthon removed all information from his personal website and replaced it with an image of the word “offline”. His website later began to show teaser images promoting Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, which was released in March 2015.Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 was released in 2015, with a free Halloween update following. The development of a new game, titled FNaF World, was announced, ditching the formula of the other games and instead being a role-playing video game. It was released on January 21, 2016.WEB, Cawthon, Scott, November 4, 2014, Interviewed by Lionet, François, Interview of the author of a top paid game in AppStore,www.clickteam.com/clickteam-blog?p=interview-of-the-author-of-a-top-paid-game-in-appstore, live,www.clickteam.com/interview-of-the-author-of-a-top-paid-game-in-appstore.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141106092818www.clickteam.com/interview-of-the-author-of-a-top-paid-game-in-appstore.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141106092818www.clickteam.com/interview-of-the-author-of-a-top-paid-game-in-appstore.html, November 6, 2014, April 14, 2023, Clickteam, FNaF World received mixed reviews due to glitches and other issues,WEB, FNaF World for PC Reviews,www.metacritic.com/game/fnaf-world/critic-reviews/?platform=pc, April 13, 2023, Metacritic, and Cawthon pulled it from Steam four days later. An altered version was released on Game Jolt for free on February 8.WEB, Cawthon, Scott, January 25, 2016, FNaF World,steamcommunity.com/games/388090/announcements/detail/92689497772897600, April 13, 2023, Steam (service), Steam, On May 21, 2016, Cawthon released a teaser trailer for (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location), featuring two new animatronics as well as circus-themed variations of the Foxy and Freddy characters from the series. The game was released on October 7, 2016, and was generally well received. Cawthon released the update “Custom Night” on December 1, with “Golden Freddy Mode” being added to the update soon after.On July 3, 2017, Cawthon announced the cancellation of a sixth main installment to Five Nights at Freddy’s, after previously stating a month earlier that a sixth game was in development. He opined that he had been neglecting other aspects of his life but said that he was not planning to abandon the series and was considering developing a FNaF World-styled spin-off game in the future.WEB, Hussain, Tamoor,www.gamespot.com/articles/five-nights-at-freddys-6-was-announced-then-cancel/1100-6451386/, Five Nights At Freddy’s 6 Was Announced, Then Canceled, GameSpot, July 3, 2017, April 13, 2023, However, with the release of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator on December 4, 2017, this was confirmed to be a joke.WEB, Davidson, Matt,www.ign.com/articles/2017/12/05/new-five-nights-at-freddys-game-released-disguised-as-a-pizzeria-simulator, New Five Nights at Freddy’s Game Released... Disguised as a Pizzeria Simulator, IGN, December 5, 2017, April 13, 2023, On June 28, 2018, the seventh main installment to the series, Ultimate Custom Night, was released on Steam for free. It features over 50 characters from the franchise. In Cawthon’s Upcoming Projects post on Steam, he noted that deals for console ports have been signed, as well as announcing virtual reality and augmented reality games.WEB, Cawthon, Scott, August 19, 2018, Upcoming Projects Mega-Thread!,steamcommunity.com/app/871720/discussions/0/1733210552660120120/, dead,web.archive.org/web/20181114100812/https://steamcommunity.com/app/871720/discussions/0/1733210552660120120/, November 14, 2018, April 14, 2023, Steam (service), Steam, {{Unreliable source?|date=January 2023|certain=y}} On August 27, 2018, Cawthon commented on a post regarding Fredbear’s true voice in Ultimate Custom Night, saying, “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Kellen in the FNAF universe. His work isn’t done yet”, hinting that he was possibly developing an eighth game.WEB, animdude, August 27, 2018, I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of Kellen in the FNAF universe. His work is not yet done.,www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/9ajf9h/comment/e4wy0m2/?context=3, January 7, 2023, Reddit, In early 2019, Cawthon announced he had joined with video game studio Steel Wool Studios, with whom he intended to develop additional Five Nights at Freddy’s games, and that he would primarily be responsible for storylines, character design, and gameplay. On May 28, 2019, Cawthon released the teased virtual reality game (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted) for both PC and PlayStation VR. A DLC update, (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted#Downloadable content|Curse of Dreadbear), was released on October 23, 2019.In September 2019, a teaserAV MEDIA, Illumix Official, FNAF AR Teaser,www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nExS-E7M8c, video, YouTube, September 6, 2019, February 27, 2020, and announcementAV MEDIA, Illumix Official, FNAF AR: Special Delivery – Official Announcement Trailer,www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af2PqVuzexg, video, YouTube, September 13, 2019, February 27, 2020, trailers were posted to Illumix’s YouTube channel regarding the augmented reality game. The title was revealed to be (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery). It was released for free on November 25, 2019, to iOS and Android.On August 8, 2019, during the first game’s fifth anniversary, Cawthon posted a new image on his website, teasing the tenth installment of the series. It shows a modernized shopping mall containing a laser tag arena, an arcade, a large cinema, and a Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant; in the main square, ‘80s-style versions of Freddy Fazbear, Chica, and two new animatronics can be seen playing for an excited crowd. On September 29, 2019, Cawthon’s website was updated with a new teaser featuring the character Glamrock Freddy and was followed by an updated teaser featuring the character Vanny from Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted as a shadow. On March 24, 2020, another teaser featuring a brand new alligator-like character was posted, later revealed to be called Montgomery Gator. On April 21, 2020, the characters’ names were leaked from Funko’s list of upcoming products, and the title was revealed as Five Nights at Freddy’s: PizzaPlex. A few hours later, on April 22, 2020, Scott Cawthon confirmed the leaks via Reddit, and revealed that the title was not official and that the title was only for Funko. Cawthon announced that the game was scheduled to release in late 2020.WEB, Blake, Vikki,www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-07-04-funko-tweets-five-nights-at-freddys-security-breach-characters-and-hints-of-a-possible-release-date, Funko tweets Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach characters and hints of a possible release date, July 4, 2020, Eurogamer, September 7, 2020, On June 12, 2020, another teaser was released, featuring the game’s antagonist, an unnamed female security guard. On August 7, 2020, a teaser of Vanny was released. One day later, Cawthon revealed the characters Glamrock Chica and Roxanne Wolf trough Reddit.On August 21, 2020, Cawthon announced his plan to help fund and publish Five Nights at Freddy’s games developed by fans, bundled with previous installments in their respective series. He would not be involved in any of the creative elements but would help with marketing and publishing support as well as appropriate licensing. The games that were announced to be included were One Night at Flumpty’s series, the Five Nights at Candy’s series, The Joy of Creation: Ignited Collection (consisting of the original The Joy of Creation, The Joy of Creation: Reborn, and The Joy of Creation: Story Mode), Popgoes Evergreen (including the prologue game Popgoes Arcade), and Five Nights at Freddy’s Plus, a reimagining of the original game.WEB,www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-08-23-scott-cawthon-is-working-with-fans-to-bring-the-best-five-nights-at-freddys-fan-games-to-life, Scott Cawthon is working with fans to bring the best Five Nights at Freddy’s fan games to life, Vikki, Blake, August 23, 2020, August 23, 2020, Eurogamer, Cawthon stated that these games would likely come to mobile and consoles, and may even have merchandise created for them. The first game to be released under this initiative was a port of One Night at Flumpty’s for Android and iOS on October 31 and November 18, 2020, respectively. The second game to be released was a port of its sequel One Night at Flumpty’s 2 on January 20, 2021, again for Android and iOS. The next game to be released was One Night at Flumpty’s 3 on October 31, 2021, for PC and mobile devices, and for consoles at a later date.On September 16, 2020, during a PlayStation 5 Showcase, it was revealed that (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach) would come to PlayStation 5 featuring real-time ray tracing and free-roam gameplay.WEB, Dayton, Andrew,blog.playstation.com/2020/09/16/five-nights-at-freddys-security-breach-revealed-for-ps5/, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach revealed for PS5, September 16, 2020, PlayStation#PlayStation Blog, PlayStation Blog, April 13, 2023, Its initial release was on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, with other platforms coming three months later. In December 2020, Cawthon posted that Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach was delayed to 2021, stating the game’s scope was too great to be finished by the end of 2020.On June 16, 2021, following a controversy where it was revealed that Cawthon had donated money to Republican Party anti-LGBT conservative politicianswww.themarysue.com/scott-cawthon-trump-scott-cawthon-controversy-explained/https://kotaku.com/sorry-fnaf-creator-scott-cawthon-political-donations-1847095005 Cawthon posted a message on his website announcing his retirement from public game development and expressing gratitude towards his followers for their ongoing support. He stated that he wished to retire in order to spend more time with his children.NEWS, McWhertor, Michael, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator says he’s retiring, handing off franchise,www.polygon.com/22538276/five-nights-at-freddys-creator-retiring-scott-cawthon-fnaf-new-developer,web.archive.org/web/20210617162335/https://www.polygon.com/22538276/five-nights-at-freddys-creator-retiring-scott-cawthon-fnaf-new-developer, live, June 17, 2021, June 17, 2021, Polygon (website), Polygon, June 17, 2021, He intended to appoint a successor to ensure that the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise would continue, while he himself would continue to occupy a lesser role in its development.On October 18, 2023, Cawthon released his first video game since his retirement, Freddy in Space 3: Chica in Space which was released as a supposed tie-in game for the Five Nights at Freddy’s film.

Novels

In December 2015, Cawthon released teasers for his first novel, Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Untold Story, later renamed (Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes). The book was released on December 17, 2015, as an ebook for Amazon; a paperback edition is available. According to Cawthon, the book was released earlier than its planned release date due to a mistake on Amazon’s part.WEB, Groux, Christopher, December 17, 2015, ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes’ Novel Released Early In Kindle And Paperback [LINK], Design & Trend,www.designntrend.com/articles/66870/20151217/five-nights-at-freddys-silver-eyes-novel-released-early-kindle-paperback-link.htm, dead, April 14, 2023,www.designntrend.com/articles/66870/20151217/five-nights-at-freddys-silver-eyes-novel-released-early-kindle-paperback-link.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20151218214646www.designntrend.com/articles/66870/20151217/five-nights-at-freddys-silver-eyes-novel-released-early-kindle-paperback-link.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20151218214646www.designntrend.com/articles/66870/20151217/five-nights-at-freddys-silver-eyes-novel-released-early-kindle-paperback-link.htm, December 18, 2015, On June 24, 2016, Cawthon announced that he had made a three-book deal with Scholastic Corporation and that the first book (The Silver Eyes) would be reprinted on paperback in October that year, with the second and third being released in 2017 and 2018.WEB, Scholastic & Scottgames, LLC Announce a New Book Series Based on the Bestselling Video Game Franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s,mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/scholastic-scottgames-llc-announce-new-book-series-based-bestselling-video-game-franch, June 20, 2016, April 14, 2023, Scholastic Media Room, On June 27, 2017, Cawthon’s second novel, (Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Twisted Ones), was released. It was the sequel to The Silver Eyes, and its story follows the main character, Charlie, who is “drawn back into the world of her father’s frightening creations” when she tried to get over the events of The Silver Eyes. On August 29, 2017, Cawthon released the first official guidebook of Five Nights at Freddy’s, entitled The Freddy Files. It contains character profiles, easter eggs, advice for playing the games, and theories sprouted from the franchise.WEB, Cruz, Janna Dela, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Freddy Files’ Guide Book News: New Book Reveals Secrets of the Franchise,www.christianpost.com/news/five-nights-at-freddys-the-freddy-files-guide-book-news-new-book-reveals-secrets-of-the-franchise-175913/, April 14, 2023, The Christian Post, February 26, 2017, On December 26, 2017, Cawthon released the second guidebook for Five Nights at Freddy’s called Survival Logbook. Unlike previous book releases, Survival Logbook has no listed Amazon Kindle editions, implying that it has pages designed for physical writing as opposed to simply reading from a device. The book, disguised as a normal children’s activity book, contains many things to do, including a word search, grid drawing, and fill-in-the-blank activities, however, all of these were found to hold secrets involving the lore.WEB, Aguila, Sheanne, June 8, 2017, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s: Survival Logbook’: New Details About Scott Cawthon’s Upcoming Book,www.christianpost.com/news/five-nights-at-freddys-survival-logbook-news-new-details-about-scott-cawthons-upcoming-book-revealed-187021/, The Christian Post, April 14, 2023, WEB, Patrick, Ryan, June 12, 2017, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ latest update: ‘Survival Logbook’ teases at more help after release of ‘The Freddy Files’,www.ibtimes.com.au/five-nights-freddys-latest-update-survival-logbook-teases-more-help-after-release-freddy-files, International Business Times, April 14, 2023, On June 26, 2018, the third novel in the Five Nights at Freddy’s book series, (Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Fourth Closet), was revealed on Amazon and was slated for release that same day.BOOK, Cawthon, Scott, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Book 3, Breed-Wrisley, Kira, 2018, Scholastic, Incorporated, 978-1338139327, On December 26, 2019, the first book in the eleven-book series, Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit was released on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.BOOK, Into the Pit (Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #1), 978-1338576016, Cawthon, Scott, Cooper, Elley, December 26, 2019, Scholastic, Incorporated, The next ten books also had their release dates and titles announced over time.

Film adaptation

Warner Bros. Pictures announced in April 2015 that it had acquired the rights to adapt the series to film. Roy Lee, David Katzenberg, and Seth Grahame-Smith were set to produce. Grahame-Smith stated that they would collaborate with Cawthon “to make an insane, terrifying and weirdly adorable movie”.NEWS, Kit, Borys, April 7, 2015, Video Game ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Getting Movie Treatment, The Hollywood Reporter,www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/video-game-five-nights-at-787061, October 20, 2017, In July 2015, Gil Kenan signed to direct the adaptation and co-write it with Tyler Burton Smith.NEWS, Fleming, Mike Jr., October 20, 2017, Gil Kenan To Direct ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ For Warner Bros, Deadline Hollywood,deadline.com/2015/07/five-nights-at-freddys-gil-kenan-warner-bros-1201486628/, October 20, 2017, In January 2017, Cawthon stated that partially due to “problems within the movie industry as a whole”, the film “was met with several delays and roadblocks” and it was “back at square one”, but he promised “to be involved with the movie from day one this time, and that’s something extremely important to me. I want this movie to be something that I’m excited for the fanbase to see.“WEB, Houston, Madison, February 6, 2017, Back to basics: Five Nights at Freddy’s movie update, Nerdvana,nerdvanamedia.com/gaming/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-update/117951/, April 14, 2023, WEB, Groux, Christopher, February 1, 2017, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie Back at Square One, Says Scott Cawthon, Player.One,www.player.one/five-nights-freddys-movie-release-back-square-one-says-scott-cawthon-581764, March 7, 2023, April 17, 2017,www.idigitaltimes.com/five-nights-freddys-movie-release-back-square-one-says-scott-cawthon-581764," title="web.archive.org/web/20170417155017www.idigitaltimes.com/five-nights-freddys-movie-release-back-square-one-says-scott-cawthon-581764,">web.archive.org/web/20170417155017www.idigitaltimes.com/five-nights-freddys-movie-release-back-square-one-says-scott-cawthon-581764, live, In March 2017, Cawthon posted a picture to Twitter of himself at Blumhouse Productions, suggesting the film had a new production company.NEWS, Barkan, Jonathan, March 28, 2017, Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Being Produced by Blumhouse, Dread Central,www.dreadcentral.com/news/220696/five-nights-freddys-movie-produced-blumhouse/, April 14, 2023, WEB, Squires, John, Tease from Creator Hints at Blumhouse Making ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie,bloody-disgusting.com/news/3429986/tease-creator-hints-blumhouse-making-five-nights-freddys-movie/, April 14, 2023, Bloody Disgusting, March 28, 2017, In May 2017, producer Jason Blum confirmed the news, saying he was excited and working closely with Cawthon on the adaptation.WEB, Justimbaste, Kristinova V., ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie Adaptation Will Work, Says Producer Jason Blum,www.christianpost.com/news/five-nights-at-freddys-news-film-adaptation-will-work-says-producer-jason-blum-185102/, April 14, 2023, The Christian Post, May 26, 2017, In June 2017, Gil Kenan said he was no longer directing the Five Nights at Freddy’s film after Warner Bros. Pictures’ turnaround.TWEET, 877695573289127936, gilkenan, this is sadly correct. love FNAF and the community, hoping for a great film!, Gil, Kenan, Gil Kenan, April 13, 2023, {{Primary source inline|date=April 2020}} On February 13, 2018, Blumhouse Productions revealed on Twitter that Chris Columbus would be working on the film as a director, alongside producing it with Blum and Cawthon.TWEET, blumhouse, Blumhouse, Blumhouse Productions, 963095697791873025, Mr. Columbus, are you ready for Freddy? .#FiveNightsatFreddys, April 13, 2023, In August 2018, Cawthon posted a Steam forum, in which he states that the film will be based on the first game and that if second and third movies are made, they will be based on the second and third game, respectively.{{Primary source inline|date=April 2020}} Later that same month, Blum tweeted that the film had a planned release window of 2020.TWEET, jason_blum, Jason, Blum, Jason Blum, 1030818854006448129, We are. My guess and just a guess. ‘20, April 13, 2023, {{Primary source inline|date=April 2020}} In November 2018, Cawthon announced that the film’s script had been scrapped and it would be further delayed.WEB, McWhertor, Michael, November 12, 2018, Five Nights at Freddy’s movie delayed, new ‘AAA’ game in the works,www.polygon.com/2018/11/12/18088288/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-delayed-new-aaa-game-in-the-works, November 12, 2018, Polygon (website), Polygon, On November 20, 2020, Cawthon made a post on Reddit discussing the several scrapped screenplays for the film, followed by the announcement that the film does have a finished screenplay and will begin filming in spring 2021.WEB, animdude, November 20, 2020, Bad news about the FNAF movie. :(,www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/jxvesb/bad_news_about_the_fnaf_movie/, live,web.archive.org/web/20210122111608/https://www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/jxvesb/bad_news_about_the_fnaf_movie/, January 22, 2021, April 14, 2023, Reddit, However, Blum revealed in September 2021 that the film still had script issues and that Columbus was no longer attached to the project as director.WEB,collider.com/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-is-it-cancelled-2021/, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie: Jason Blum Reveals Chris Columbus Is No Longer Directing, but the Film Is Still Happening, Haleigh, Foutch, September 29, 2021, September 30, 2021, Collider (website), Collider,web.archive.org/web/20210929200235/https://collider.com/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-is-it-cancelled-2021/, September 29, 2021, live, In October 2022, Emma Tammi was announced to direct the film in addition to co-writing alongside Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback.WEB, Kit, Borys, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie Finds Its Director in Emma Tammi,www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-set-for-2023-start-1235234292/, The Hollywood Reporter, February 4, 2023, October 5, 2022, December 28, 2022,web.archive.org/web/20221228145746/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-set-for-2023-start-1235234292/, live, The film released on October 27, 2023, to negative reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $296 million.WEB, Box Office: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Repeats No. 1 Despite Brutal 76% Drop,variety.com/2023/film/box-office/box-office-five-nights-at-freddys-repeats-no-1-despite-huge-drop-1235777734/, variety.com,

Public image

In November 2019, Cawthon announced that he would be creating a game specifically for a fundraising event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital hosted by YouTuber MatPat, who would play the game with fellow YouTubers Dawko and Markiplier on a livestream. The game, Freddy in Space 2, was released December 3WEB, realscawthon, Freddy in Space 2,gamejolt.com/games/freddyinspace2/452650, April 13, 2023, Game Jolt, on Game Jolt, and included dollar amounts hidden throughout that dictated how much Cawthon would donate following the stream. He boasted that a total of US$500,000 was available to find but warned that it was difficult and that he doubted they would be able to find it all, as his playtester had taken five hours to complete the game. Originally, the game had a two-hour slot to be featured in the livestream; however, Markiplier continued playing after the stream had ended and managed to find a final hidden US$100,000 that raised the total donation figure to US$451,200. Cawthon went on to donate the full US$500,000 to St. Jude’s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}In June 2021, Cawthon became a trending topic on Twitter when his publicly available political donations were shared on the website. Except for one donation to Democratic Party representative Tulsi Gabbard, all of Cawthon’s donations were to Republican Party politicians, including U.S. President Donald Trump. He posted on Reddit to confirm his support for the Republican Party, describe himself as pro-life. He claimed that he had been doxed, and had received threats of violence and home invasion after his donations were publicized. While the reaction to his post was mostly positive on Reddit, it was mixed on other social media platforms such as Twitter, where some members of the LGBT community reacted negatively. Days later, Cawthon announced his intention to step away from professional game development and appoint someone else to assume creative control of the franchise; Cawthon nonetheless continued directing the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise and, as of 2024, still has exclusive rights over it.MAGAZINE, Chalk, Andy, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator ‘won’t apologize for’ Trump support,www.pcgamer.com/five-nights-at-freddys-creator-wont-apologize-for-trump-support/, June 12, 2021, PC Gamer, June 13, 2021, NEWS, Crump, James, June 13, 2021, Five Nights at Freddy’s Scott Cawthon Won’t Apologize for Supporting Trump, Newsweek,www.newsweek.com/scott-cawthon-donated-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-1600132, June 13, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210617010357/https://www.newsweek.com/scott-cawthon-donated-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-1600132, June 17, 2021, NEWS, Blake, Vikki, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator confirms claims he has financially backed Donald Trump,www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-13-five-nights-at-freddys-creator-confirms-claims-he-has-financially-backed-donald-trump, June 13, 2021, Eurogamer, June 13, 2021, WEB,kotaku.com/five-nights-at-freddy-s-creator-scott-cawthon-retires-a-1847118164, Five Nights At Freddy’s Creator Scott Cawthon Retires Amid Controversy, Walker, Ian, June 16, 2021, June 16, 2021, Kotaku, {{Text-source inline|date=June 2022}}On March 9, 2024, Cawthon appeared in an episode of The Game Theorists entitled, “MatPat’s FINAL Theory!” which was MatPat’s final episode appearance as host after he announced his retirement from YouTube on January 9, 2024.MAGAZINE, Jones, CT, January 9, 2024, YouTuber MatPat Announces Retirement,www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/youtuber-matpat-retirement-game-theorists-1234943292/, January 9, 2024, Rolling Stone, This was Cawthon’s first public video appearance.WEB, MatPat’s Last Game Theory Episode Featured A Cameo From FNAF Creator,www.thegamer.com/matpat-final-game-theory-episode-five-nights-at-freddys-scott-cawthon-cameo/, www.thegamer.com, WEB, MatPat leaves hidden message in his final Game Theory YouTube video,www.dexerto.com/youtube/matpat-leaves-hidden-message-in-his-final-game-theory-youtube-video-2580619/, www.dexerto.com,

Personal life

Cawthon lives in Texas, with his wife and six children. One of his sons, Braden Cawthon, is an author.WEB, Cawthon, Scott, Scott Games,scottgames.com/, deviated,web.archive.org/web/20210617022949/https://scottgames.com/, June 17, 2021, ScottGames.com,

Works

Five Nights at Freddy’s video games“>

Video games {| class“wikitable sortable“|+ Non-Five Nights at Freddy’s video games

! scope=“col” | Year! scope=“col” | Title! scope=“row” |1994|Doofas! scope=“row” |1995|Floppy Disk! scope=“row” |2002|RPG Max! rowspan=“16” scope=“row” |2003|The Fifth Paradox|RPG Max 2|Lost Island|Elemage|Mega Knight|Demon Night|Dungeon|Dinostria|Phantom Core: The Moon Mission|War|Gunball|Stellar Gun|Ships of Chaos|Legacy of Flan|Legacy of Flan 2: Flans Online|Legacy of Flan 3: Storm of Hades! rowspan=“3” scope=“row” |2004|Flannville|Junkyard Apocalypse|Moon Minions! rowspan=“4” scope=“row” |2005|Flannville 2|Metroid: Ripped Worlds|Legend of White Whale|Chup’s Quest! rowspan=“4” scope=“row” |2006|The Misadventures of Sigfried the Dark Elf on a Tuesday Night|Bogart|Bogart 2: Return of Bogart|Light from Above! rowspan=“4” scope=“row” |2007|Weird Colony|M.O.O.N.|Legacy of Flan 4: Flan Rising|The Desolate Room! scope=“row” |2008|Iffermoon! rowspan=“5” scope=“row” |2011|The Powermon Adventure!|Doomsday Picnic RPG|Slumberfish!|Slumberfish!: Catching Z’s|The Pilgrim’s Progress: The Video Game! scope=“row” |2012|The Desolate Hope! rowspan=“8” scope=“row” |2013|Aquatic Critters Slots|Vegas Fantasy Jackpot|Vegas Wild Slots|Golden Galaxy|Mafia! Slot Machine|Platinum Slots Collection|Chipper and Sons Lumber Co.|Bad Waiter Tip Calculator! rowspan=“27” scope=“row” |2014|Forever Quester|Snap-A-Game: Classic RPG|Jumbo Slots Collection|Pimp My Dungeon|There is No Pause Button!|Slumberfish|Fighter Mage Bard|Use Holy Water!|Rage Quit|20 Useless Apps|Cropple|Spooky Scan|Vegas Fantasy Slots|Pogoduck|Scott’s Fantasy Slots|VIP Woodland Casino|Hawaiian Jackpots|8-Bit RPG Creator|Bible Story Slots|Magnum Slots Collection|Gemsa|Fart Hotel|Chubby Hurdles|Shell Shatter|Kitty in the Crowd|Dark Prisms|Sit ‘N’ Survive{| class=“wikitable sortable“|+ Five Nights at Freddy’s video games! scope=“col” |Year! scope=“col” |Title! Director! Writer! Producer! Programmer! Voice Actor! Role! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2014Five Nights at Freddy’s (video game)>Five Nights at Freddy’s|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}} Phone Guy|Five Nights at Freddy’s 2|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2015|Five Nights at Freddy’s 3|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}| Phone Dude & Phone Guy|Five Nights at Freddy’s 4|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}| Phone Guy (archive sound)! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2016|FNaF World|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}|(Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location)|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}! scope=“row” |2017|Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}! scope=“row” |2018|Ultimate Custom Night|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}| Phone Guy (archive sound)! rowspan=“3” scope=“row” |2019|(Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted)|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{yes}}| Phone Guy & Phone Dude (archive sound)|(Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery)|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}|Freddy in Space 2|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2021|Security Breach: Fury’s Rage|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|Himself|(Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach)|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}! scope=“row” |2022|Youtooz Presents: Five Nights at Freddy’s|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2023|Freddy in Space 3: Chica in Space|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}(Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2)|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{N/A}}

Filmography

Films{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“col” |Year! scope=“col” |Title! Creator! Director! Writer! Producer! Animator! Notes! rowspan=“3” scope=“row“| 1999|Birdvillage Beak’s Vacation|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}} “Birdvillage” film series|Birdvillage Beak’s Adventure|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|Birdvillage Beak’s Snowball Fight|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2002|Birdvillage: The Movie|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}} Lost film; “Birdvillage” film series|Birdvillage: Second Nest|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2003|A Mushsnail Tale|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}} “Mushsnail Tale” film series|Return to Mushsnail: The Legend of the Snowmill|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}! scope=“row” |2004|Noah’s Ark: Story of the Biblical Flood|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|! scope=“row” |2005|The Pilgrim’s Progress|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2006|A Christmas Journey: About the Blessings God Gives|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}||Christmas Symbols|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}| Short film included on the DVD of his film A Christmas Journey: About the Blessings God Gives! rowspan=“2” scope=“row” |2010|Bible Plays: David and Golliath |{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}} “Bible Plays” short film series|Bible Plays: Noah’s Ark |{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}! scope=“row” |2023Five Nights at Freddy’s (film)>Five Nights at Freddy’s|{{yes}}|{{no}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}| Feature film based on his video-game series ”Five Nights at Freddy’s”Series{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“col” |Year! scope=“col” |Title! Creator! Director! Writer! Producer! Animator! Notes! scope=“row“|2010|The Jesus’s Kids Club|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}| 6 episodes!scope=“row“| 2021|Five Nights at Freddy’s: On Tour!|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{yes}}|{{no}}| Miniseries based on his video-game series “Five Nights at Freddy’s” co-directed with Jason Topolski; 4 episodes! scope=“row” |2024MatPat>The Game Theorists|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{no}}|{{no}}| Himself; cameoAnimator only{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“col” |Year! scope=“col” |Title! scope=“col“| Notes! rowspan=“16” scope=“row“| 2010| Earth Science Educational videos made for the “Rock n’ Learn” company |Human Body|Life Science|Physical Science|Alphabet Circus|Money & Making Change|Division Rap|Dance with the Animals|Getting Ready for Kindergarten|Proofreading Skills|Writing Skills|Reading Comprehension|Math Word Problems|What is Multiplication?|Telling Time|Nursery Rhymes

Bibliography

Novels{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“row“|Year! scope=“row“|Title! scope=“row“|Notes! scope=“row“|2015| (Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes) Co-author with Kira Breed-Wrisley! scope=“row“|2017| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Twisted Ones! scope=“row“|2018| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Fourth Closet! scope=“row“|2019| Fazbear Frights 1: Into the Pit| Co-author with Elley Cooper! rowspan=“5” scope=“row“|2020| Fazbear Frights 2: Fetch| Co-author with Andrea Waggener and Carly Anne West| Fazbear Frights 3: 1:35 A.M.| Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 4: Step Closer| Co-author with Elley Cooper, Kelly Parra, and Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 5: Bunny Call| Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 6: Blackbird| Co-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener! rowspan=“5” scope=“row“|2021| Fazbear Frights 7: The Cliffs| Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 8: Gumdrop Angel| Co-author with Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 9: The Puppet Carver| Co-author with Elley Cooper| Fazbear Frights 10: Friendly Face| Co-author with Andrea Waggener| Fazbear Frights 11: Prankster| Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener! rowspan=“5” scope=“row“|2022| Fazbear Frights 12: Felix the Shark| Co-author with Elley Cooper, Kelly Parra, and Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally’s Game| Co-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #2: HAPPS| Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #3: Somniphobia Co-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #4: Submechanophobia! rowspan=“4” scope=“row“|2023| Tales from the Pizzaplex #5: The Bobbiedots Conclusion| Co-author with Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #6: Nexie Co-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener| Tales from the Pizzaplex #7: Tiger Rock| Tales from the Pizzaplex #8: B7-2| Co-author with Andrea Waggener and Kelly Parra! rowspan=“2” scope=“row“|2024| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Week Before| Co-author with Eugene C. Myers| Five Nights at Freddy’s: Return to the Pit| Co-author with Adrienne KressGraphic novels{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“row“|Year! scope=“row“|Title! scope=“row“|Notes! scope=“row“|2019| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes: The Graphic Novel| Adaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Claudia Schröder! rowspan=“2” scope=“row“|2021| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Twisted Ones: The Graphic Novel| Adaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Fourth Closet: The Graphic Novel| Adaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Diana Camero! scope=“row“|2022| Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #1| Graphic novel collection based on his novel series Fazbear Nights; co-authored with Elley Cooper, Carly Anne West, illustrated by Didi Esmeralda, Anthony Morris Jr., and Andi Santagata! rowspan=“3” scope=“row“|2023| Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #2| Co-authored with Andrea Waggener, Carly Anne West, illustrated by Didi Esmeralda, Coryn MacPherson, and Anthony Morris Jr.| Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #3| Co-authored with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Didi Esmeralda, and Coryn MacPherson| Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #4| Co-authored with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and Benjamin Sawyer! scope=“row“|2024| Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #5| Co-authored with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and Benjamin Sawyer! scope=“row“|2025| Tales from the Pizzaplex: Graphic Novel Collection #1| Co-authored with Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and PamintuanGuide books{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“row“|Year! scope=“row“|Title! scope=“row“|Notes! scope=“row“|2017| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Freddy FilesGuide books about the series! scope=“row“|2019| The Freddy Files: Updated Edition! scope=“row“|2021| Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Ultimate Guide! scope=“row“|2022| Security Breach Files! scope=“row“|2024| Security Breach Files: Updated EditionOther books{| class=“wikitable sortable”! scope=“row“|Year! scope=“row“|Title! scope=“row“|Notes! scope=“row“|2017| Five Nights at Freddy’s: Survival Logbook| Activities book! scope=“row“|2018| Art with Edge, Five Nights at Freddy’s| Coloring book! scope=“row“|2021| The Official Five Nights at Freddy’s Coloring Book| Coloring bookCo-author with Claudia Schröder! scope=“row“|2022| The Official Five Nights at Freddy’s How to Draw| Drawing bookCo-author with Claudia Schröder! rowspan=“2” scope=“row“|2023| Five Nights at Freddy’s Character Encyclopedia| Encyclopedia of Five Nights at Freddy’s characters| Five Nights at Freddy’s Cookbook| Cooking bookCo-author with Rob Morris! scope=“row“|2024| Five Nights at Freddy’s: Ticket to Fun Ephemera Kit| Game book

References

External links

• www.scottgames.com/" title="web.archive.org/web/20151101025717www.scottgames.com/">Scott Games (archived)

{{Five Nights at Freddy’s}}{{Authority control}}