Early adopters of YouTube will recognise the name ‘Rooster Teeth’ without a doubt. As one of the most popular gaming channels in the business, Rooster Teeth has roots that stretch back to the turn of the millennium. For more than two decades, this channel facilitated, amongst other things, the hilarious Red vs Blue series, a machinima franchise based on the activities of a group of fan-created Halo characters.

Following around twenty-one years of content production and a prolific lifecycle, it has been revealed that Rooster Teeth will close later this year. In a poignant coincidence, it was highlighted that the Rooster Teeth brand will be sunsetted by its owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, as the final season of Red vs Blue wraps up. It was ‘unintentional’ timing, but many age-old fans of the series are in agreement that if it has to end, it should end like this.

The Lasting Legacy

Rooster Teeth expanded as time went on, stepping outside of Halo and making content involving a wide array of titles. It became one of the leading game-themed channels on YouTube, eventually graduating from the video-sharing platform and hosting its content on its own website. From humble beginnings, Rooster Teeth became a legitimate organisation boasting around 150 employees scattered across eight locations globally.

In 2014, the Rooster Teeth brand was acquired by Fullscreen, which was subsequently included in a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022. Now, everything from Red vs Blue to RWBY is being shuttered as Rooster Teeth prepares to enter a months-long journey that’ll culminate in the closure of the company. In a statement, the general manager at RT, Jordan Levin, said:

‘Since inheriting ownership and control of Rooster Teeth from AT&T following its acquisition of TimeWarner, Warner Bros Discovery continued its investment in our company, content and community. Now however, it’s with a heavy heart I announce that Rooster Teeth is shutting down due to challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage.’

In the last year, more than 10,000 games and esports industry workers have found themselves laid off amid ongoing financial struggles and reorganisation efforts. We’ve seen entire studios shut their doors for good, but this is one of the first major content brands to shut down because of ‘challenges facing digital media’. For the most part, organisations lean heavily on their creator-based revenue streams. This could be the first in a line of changes that sees other channels and brands impacted similarly.

It’ll take several months before the final actions are taken, but in 2024, Rooster Teeth will shut down.

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