One of the most popular modern horror game franchises in is being celebrated on social media, as Five Nights at Freddy's fans 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 much Five Nights at Freddy's has meant to so many video game fans, even as the franchise and its community faces a crisis of conscience.
Five Nights at Freddy's launched seven years ago on August 8 exclusively for the PC platform. It was developed solely by Scott 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 of Five Nights at Freddy's.
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To say Five Nights at Freddy's was 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 rigorous Steam 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.
Since Five Nights at Freddy's launch in 2014, Cawthon's franchise has released ten titles in the main series, three spin-offs, a trilogy of novels, twelve Fazbear Frights anthology 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, as Five Nights at Freddy's reaches its seventh anniversary, it also has reached a crisis. Scott Cawthon has retired after a recent controversy revolving around his political donations. The situation has left many fans of Five Nights at Freddy's conflicted about their support of Cawthon and the series over the years. As such, the franchise's future is in limbo.
There are clearly many Five Nights at Freddy's fans who 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 that Five Nights at Freddy's remains 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 with Five Nights at Freddy's next.
Five Nights at Freddy's is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
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