Beloved internet entertainment company Rooster Teeth is shutting down after 20 years of creating content online. Starting in 2003 with the pilot episode of Halo machinima series Red vs Blue, the popular internet brand is being killed by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
Reported by Variety, Warner is closing the gaming-led internet group after multiple unsuccessful attempts to sell the company. Warner acquired the studio in 2022 after merging with AT&T.
Rooster Teeth is one of the biggest drivers of early internet fandom. Alongside Red vs Blue, the company was known for the now-defunct gaming brand Achievement Hunter as well as Funhaus and Let’s Play and the anime series RWBY and Gen.Lock.
In recent years, the company has been successfully making a variety of podcasts including F**kFace, FaceJam and the extremely popular Dungeons and Dragons podcast Tales from the Stinky Dragon.
Warner is still planning to shop the company’s podcast network, known as The Roost. This means that some of the brand’s best-known podcasts could stick around, as well as the company’s dealings with other huge podcasts.
However, Variety reports that 150 employees and dozens of additional contractors will be out of work. This includes on-screen talent, writers, CGI artists and actors.
“[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,” Rooster Teeth general manager Jordan Levin said in an internal memo to staff. “Our legacy is not just a collection of content but a history of pixels burned into our screens, minds, and hearts.”
It’s not known what will happen to previously announced Rooster Teeth properties, including the final season of Red vs Blue that was set to be released in Spring 2024. Other properties such as RWBY and Gen.Lock are apparently in talks to be sold elsewhere, with the former likely set to be picked up by Crunchyroll.
Despite multiple controversies over the years, Rooster Teeth has retained a core fan base for two decades. While many creators have come and gone - including founder Burnie Burns - the studio has continued to create engaging online content for over two decades - a huge achievement in itself.
Rooster Teeth’s closure comes as a surprise. Gfinity can confirm that Warner was recently looking for a large press push for the studio’s “Gen Z” content creators as well as for the final season of Red vs Blue as of last month. Despite this, it seems the parent company has given up on the brand, or is looking for another write off. (Ahem, Coyote vs Acme.)
Furthermore, the company just announced the completely real acquisition of the rights to Ratyboy, a horrid 3D platformer game, to use as the mascot for its Let's Play channel. Even in its death rattle, the company is still throwing out jokes.
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