Years ago, there existed a content series online that, unlike many nerdy shows of the time, actually gained you some street cred for being able to reference it. That online blockbuster was Red vs. Blue, an animation series made utilizing Halo assets and in-game camerawork by the original members of Rooster Teeth. The web series was a pioneer in the space, showing early creators on the Internet around the globe that it was possible to make content on a budget with some friends, and if it captures an audience, expand that IP to a nationwide phenomenon. 21 years later, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has announced their run has ended. In an email to employees sent out this past Wednesday, the company’s general manager stated the following “[I]t’s with a heavy heart I announce that Rooster Teeth is shutting down due to challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage”.
To non-diehard fans of RT, this news may come as shocking. However for longtime fans the writing has been on the wall. The once giant company has undergone scandal after scandal, controversy after controversy, and lost touch with its core audience long ago. What was once a passionate project between friends grew into a corporate media platform. Views for many of their series and regular videos had been on the decline ever since COVID ended, and this was further displayed when the famous Achievement Hunter branch was shut down. So what does this mean for their projects and IPs? It’s very unclear. Warner Bros. Discovery should have the final say in theory considering they owned the Rooster Teeth property, which means the future is uncertain for RWBY, Gen:Lock, Red Vs. Blue, The Slow Mo Guys, Funhaus, and other IPs. Warner may decide to sell them off to third parties, sell them to the independent creators who were actually working on those channels and series, or say “fuck this shit” and scrap them entirely as they’ve done with several movies and projects recently. Speaking of, apparently a new RT movie was in the works and Warner claims they still plan to release it following the shutdown. Make no mistake, they’ve made similar statements before and then proceeded to change their mind in a flash so no breath holding.
“Never say goodbye. If you don’t say goodbye you aren’t really gone. You just aren’t here right now.”
This news hits especially hard for me as Achievement Hunter was a huge part of my teenage years. It was the first time I decided to seriously sit down and watch other people play games, something I previously thought was a waste of time. But dammit the original group’s dynamic was so engaging, so comedic, that it opened my eyes to the wider world of Let’s Play content. When Ray left a part of me left too, but it wasn’t until Ryan’s scandal and the subsequent replacements that I found myself leaving behind the group for good. I hope the remaining members are able to find happiness and new work elsewhere as they move on from the once great empire of Rooster Teeth.
Back then the rise was so glorious, I never considered a fall.
Enough yapping out of me, I may crack a tear or two if we keep this up. It’s time to say farewell. Did you hear about the Rooster Teeth shutdown? Did you watch any of their regular videos or dedicated series? Did you follow their prior scandals and issues? Play some games with your buddies, acquire a weapon that’s also a gun, and wonder why we’re here in the comments below.
