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A tweet circulated on social media on Thursday, March 6, claiming that video game developer Scott Cawthon has died at the age of 46. One tweet was dated March 4 and came from @cawthonmedias, while the other was from March 6 and posted by @images_i_hate2.
Both tweets garnered over 1.8 million views on X, along with comments from the video game community attempting to confirm the claim's authenticity.
However, Scott's family has not shared any official statement regarding his health or death. Similarly, no other media outlets have published reports on this matter. A Community Note under @images_i_hate2's tweet dismissed the claim that the creator of Five Nights at Freddy's has died.
People flooded X to inquire whether the video game developer was indeed dead. Some accepted the news and began spreading it further.
"Is this real?…. I gotta spread the word", commented one person.
Despite the ruckus, many humorously pointed out that Scott was alive. One X user explained that if he had died, it would have been updated on Google by now.
"Scott Cawthon is NOT dead. It's a rumor", another claimed.
In July 2023, a similar rumor surfaced on X, which FNAF fans started as a joke. On July 24, 2023, user @DevSprings posted that Freddy Fazebear killed Scott on the set of the Five Nights at Freddy's movie.
Freddy Fazebear is the titular character in Scott's game and also serves as the antagonist. Fazebear is a mascot at the pizzeria featured in the game, attacking nightguards during the night. The game revolves around the guards trying to survive the mascot's hunts for five consecutive nights.
Scott Cawthon retired from game development in 2021
Born in Houston, Texas, Scott Cawthon made a name for himself in the video game community with his commercial hit Five Nights at Freddy's. He released the first two series of the horror-themed franchise in 2014. Over the course of seven years until 2021, the series expanded to include eight more installments and three spin-offs. Scott also produced a movie of the same name, which was released in 2023.
On June 17, 2021, Scott Cawthon announced his retirement from game design and development. On his website, he informed fans that he was stepping down from public game development but would continue to create games unofficially for his children. Scott said he would hand over the franchise to someone he trusted.
Scott explained that he started working on the game when he was in his mid-30s and was approaching his mid-40s.
"I realize that I miss a lot of things that I got to focus on before FNAF became such a success. I miss making games for my kids, I miss doing it just for fun, and I missing making rpgs even though I stink at it. All of this is to say that I am retiring," he said.
Scott acknowledged the support he received from the LGBTQ community at the time, which was likely due to the public criticism over his donation to the Republican Party. Scott Cawthon reportedly supported some Republican politicians financially, including Donald Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell.
He faced backlash on Reddit for his political leanings and was accused of homophobia. However, the creator responded to the criticism, asserting that he backed Trump because he believed the man was the best choice for America's economy and security.
