We often see YouTubers come and go; the recent news of Matthew Patrick, also known as MatPat, stepping down from the platform triggered a sense of dissatisfaction across the online community. He hosts the YouTube channel The Game Theorists, which has more than 18 million subscribers. After more than a decade as a leading voice in online gaming and fandom, he officially announced his retirement from hosting the channels on January 9, 2024.
Prior to this, fans were shocked by a tweet announcing the immediate retirement of another well-known YouTuber, Markiplier aka Mark Edward Fischbach. What subtle clues might fans have picked up from these YouTube legends’ retirements?
Following their mysterious exit from the YouTube scenario, fans speculate that their film career has something to do with it. Markiplier is slated to direct his first feature film, Iron Lung, which he is also producing, writing, and starring in. Meanwhile, MatPat starred as Ness in the 2023 supernatural horror film Five Nights at Freddy’s, a film based on the popular video game series by Scott Cawthon.
MatPat & Markiplier’s Mysterious YouTube Retirement
When Markiplier, a YouTuber who joined in 2012, announced that he was leaving the platform, those who followed the third-highest-paid content creator of 2022 were shocked. It was observed that his decision came after he starred in the films Smosh: The Movie (2015), A Heist with Markiplier (2019), and In Space with Markiplier (2022).
He swept the internet by storm on December 4, 2020, when he tweeted,
I am retiring from the internet effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/xfxseCNsDs
— Mark (@markiplier) December 3, 2020
Fans also couldn’t help but wonder if his announcement was related to his upcoming major film, Iron Lung. In the meantime, MatPat a.k.a. Matthew Patrick, declared on January 9, 2024, that he would be closing all of his channels. He explained his decision to step down from YouTube in the 25-minute YouTube video, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
However, it was not until eagle-eyed fans started gathering evidence that a pattern began to develop. These social media stars’ move from YouTube to Hollywood sparked rumors that it might not have been a mere coincidence.
The Pattern Unraveled By Eagle-Eyed Fans
The announcement of these YouTubers’ retirement seemed suspicious. Wondering if Mark Fischbach’s announcement had anything to do with his upcoming science fiction horror film, Iron Lung, fans could not help but speculate. The film is an adaptation of David Szymanski’s 2022 video game of the same name.
Additionally, we are aware that MatPat made an appearance in the 2023 supernatural horror movie Five Nights at Freddy’s as Ness. Even though it is easy to draw hasty judgments and say that YouTube stars are giving up their online careers in favor of Hollywood’s stardom, it is important to take into account different viewpoints. Let us see how fans analyze these patterns:
appear in a movie, retire pic.twitter.com/ATjM4X0APP
— Dani / Royal (@bakedroyal_727) January 10, 2024
better yet
"appear in a movie about something you carried so much your back probably hurts, retire"— LunaticRhythms (@LunaticRhythms) January 10, 2024
appear in a VIDEO GAME movie, retire
— Pat3nted #FireDavidZazlav (@BlueBuster7) January 10, 2024
Don’t do that, don’t say that
— Tired (@Ghosts_and_shit) January 10, 2024
I did not see the FNAF movie due to having no interest about the FNAF franchise whatsoever, but I liked MatPat's stuff on YouTube very much
— 💜Nikki Roessler 🩷#Snake4DWASKR💜 (@VeloStriker22) January 10, 2024
Aw fuck that means Markiplier is next
— ExistingNikch (@ExistingNikch) January 10, 2024
Also read: Undeterred by Shazam 2 Failure, Zachary Levi Returns in New Action Thriller ‘Hotel Tehran’
The stepping away of MatPat and Markiplier from YouTube after their Hollywood film appearances has certainly caused fans to wonder about the shift in online stars’ ambitions. And, thus, it is not easy to ignore the intriguing pattern. However, we also can’t deny that, whether it is in Hollywood or on YouTube, the era of internet stars has solidified its place in the entertainment business.
