Scott Cawthon Defends "Toxic" Fanbase

Five Nights at Freddy's is something of a curiosity in the gaming world, combining the good nature and artistic spirit of the indie world, while simultaneously embracing the money-grabbing, sequel-ridden "safe bet" that has come to dominate the triple-A world. It's got a lot of fans who love it, a lot of critics who detract from it, and more than a few people wondering when it'll all finally be over. Five Nights at Freddy's 4: The Final Chapter wasn't the end of the series, Sister Location is likely to have a sequel, and there's even talk of a Five Nights at Freddy's movie.

Well, of the many criticisms levied against the series, one is fairly consistent: that the community is 'toxic,' full of evangelical lovers of the franchise that hand out vitriol to anyone who disagrees with their affection for the series. With Sister Location coming out, and several YouTubers expressing dissatisfaction with the title, that vitriol has entered the forefront, to the point where Mr. Scott Cawthon has finally stepped in.

To defend his 'toxic' community.

"People sometimes complain when I ban someone for criticizing the fanbase. I'll be honest, I do get triggered when people start griping about the "toxic fanbase", because I think it's an unfair generalization.

The truth is that EVERY fanbase has its "toxic" side, and that's because every fanbase has a huge variety of ages, a huge variety of opinions, and a huge variety of maturities. There will always be people who irritate you, inside and outside of any fanbase. That's not a fault of the fanbase, it's a fault of people, and we're all guilty."

He continued to say that while he could acknowledge there was a lot he didn't like about the community that has spawned around his game, he quantified it by saying a lot of good has come from it too, and it's healthier for everyone to just focus on all that good stuff and push the bad out of their mind. And I agree, but, while it's cool for Scott to defend his community and fans, it's not-so-cool for him to not acknowledge that some of them are toxic and vicious, and not say anything to that attitude.

Not as if that would change anyone's behavior, but, it'd at least be an acknowledgment of the obvious. Something he should have done before releasing FNAF World.

And no, I will not stop making fun of that.