Popular video game creator retires after backlash to political donations: 'I'm Christian, pro-life'
Scott Cawthon, the creator of the popular horror video game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” is retiring from the game franchise after online backlash to donations he made to conservative politicians. He assured that he is “Republican," "Christian" and "pro-life."
Cawthon came under fire this month for donations he made to several politicians, including former President Donald Trump, other prominent Republicans, and Democrat former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.
According to GameRant, fans of Cawthon’s game franchise voiced outrage online when it was revealed that he is donating to conservative politicians disliked by his LGBT fanbase.
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Fans searched for Cawthon on Open Secrets and found donations to politicians like Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, first-term Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the last two years. He also donated to 2016 presidential candidate Ben Carson in 2015.
The "Five Nights At Freddy’s" series is prominent among gamers and many fans took to Twitter and Reddit to slam Cawthon’s and his donations. The game even began to trend on Twitter because of the chatter surrounding his giving.
Cawthon broke his silence on Monday and posted on the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” subreddit to say that he is unapologetic about his beliefs and donations. He said his critics are intolerant for “endless apologies and submission.”
“I’d like to think that the last seven years would have given me the benefit of the doubt in regards to how I try to treat people, but there I was, trending on Twitter for being a homophobe, getting doxed, with people threatening to come to my house,” he wrote. “All this because I exercised my right, and my duty, as an American citizen, to vote for and support the candidates who I felt could best run the country, for everyone, and that’s something that I won’t apologize for.”
The creator said he supports all people, including men, women, white people, black people, and Republicans and Democrats.
“And yes, I supported President Trump, because I felt he was the best man to fuel a strong economy and stand up to America’s enemies abroad, of which there are many," he wrote. "Even if there were candidates who had better things to say to the LGBT community directly, and bigger promises to make, I believed that their stances on other issues would have ended up doing much greater harm to those communities than good.”
“I’m a republican. I’m a Christian. I’m pro-life. I believe in God. I also believe in equality, and in science, and in common sense,” Cawthon declared. “Despite what some may say, all of those things can go together. That’s not an apology or promise to change, it’s the way it’s always been.”
Cawthon knew his explanation would still fall on deaf ears and concluded by saying he no longer made the game to make money and is not afraid to be "cancelled."
"If I get cancelled, then I get cancelled," he wrote. "I don't do this for the money anymore; I do it because I enjoy it. If people think I'm doing more harm than good now, then maybe it's better that I get cancelled and retire. I would accept that. I've had a fulfilling career. Besides, most things that people can take from you are things that never had much value to begin with."
Following his response, the "Five Nights at Freddy's" creator announced his retirement on his website. He said he will choose a successor. Cawthon’s statement came after they announced the delay of the first Triple-A title and the 10th installment of the series, “Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.”
"As I realize that I was in my mid-30s when I created the series and now I'm approaching my mid-40s, I realize that I miss a lot of things that I got to focus on before FNAF became such a success," he wrote. "I miss making games for my kids, I miss doing it just for fun, and I missing making rpgs [role-playing games] even though I stink at it."
Although some threatened to boycott the franchise, “#istandwithscott” also trended on Twitter following the controversy.
