The Five Nights at Freddy's community has expressed disappointment regarding the series' creator, Scott Cawthon, who recently confirmed he made several large donations to former United States President Donald Trump's political administration.The game's followers, of which a significant portion form part of the LGBTQ+ community, have widely criticized Cawthon for the donations and for his support for several Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, the game's subreddit has implemented a ban on all posts that speak on the situation, whether they be for or against Cawthon.
Cawthon addressed the controversy in a lengthy post on the game's subreddit. "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,"Â he wrote. "If I get cancelled, then I get cancelled. 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."
While many fans of the franchise have expressed support for Cawthorn, others aired their grievances regarding the donations. Five Nights at Freddy's players have expressed sympathy towards Cawthon's family and general safety, but many maintain that members of the LGBTQ+ community have a right to be angry. Some fans have stated in the comments of Cawthon's Reddit post that while he says he stands in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people, his support of politicians like Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump, who have notably stood at odds with the queer community, is hypocritical.
"I have always loved, and will continue to love, this community and this fanbase, even if someday it doesn't include me anymore," Cawthon concluded. Since the Reddit post on June 13, the creator has yet to issue another statement.
Five Nights at Freddy's is an indie horror game first released in 2014 that sees players attempt to survive for five nights in a pizza restaurant housing several deadly automatons. The game quickly spawned several sequels and features a large, dedicated fanbase. The next entry in the franchise is Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, which is expected to launch in 2021. Steel Wool Studios is developing the new game in collaboration with Cawthon.
Five Nights at Freddy's 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach launches in 2021 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Reddit