Scott Cawthon has announced his retirement and that he will no longer work on the popular "Five Nights at Freddy's" game series he started seven years ago.Cawthon said on his website, "I have had a blessed, fulfilling and prosperous career. I have been given great kindness and have tried to show great kindness in return. I have tried to make a good game (the debate will continue) and have witnessed the creation of perhaps the most creative and talented fan base on the planet."

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Cawthon had made large donations to conservative activist committees and politicians, including Donald Trump; many fans of FNAF games are members of the LGBTQ+ community, and they reacted negatively to the news.

In explaining his retirement, Cawthon focused on how he missed the playful spirit of making games as an amateur. I miss making games for kids," he wrote, "I miss making games just for fun," and "I hate making RPGs, but I miss making them. All of this is to say that I am retiring." I have received tremendous love and support this past week. The kindness shown to me has been unreal.

Cawthon also explained that he will not be making any games, but that the FNAF series will continue in some form; is this the end of FNAF?""No, this means that someone else will eventually run the show. We will have to wait and see how it all plays out, but there will be an announcement at some point."

The next game in the series, Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, was announced for release in 2021, and a film adaptation was scheduled to begin shooting this year.