Instagram/@matpatgt
Matthew Patrick, who is commonly referred to as MatPat, has posed a question about the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe that was at the same time simple and extremely significant, thereby earning again the attention of his very large fan base. Patrick openly questioned the lore in a very recent post on social media where he included a video of himself saying, “But so seriously…is this lore?” The video starts with Patrick asking if it was lore and then immediately switches to a close-up of the Nightmarionne plushie saying “Lore!” as if declaring victory. In his tags for the post, he included #fnaf, #fnafmovie, and the mentioning of Blumhouse—the production company that has been behind the horror film series—all of which are connected to the FNAF franchise in one way or another. The post comes at a time when the FNAF franchise is still in growth mode thanks to the FNAF movie universe and for a narrative-decoding community whose primary objective is to sift through hidden narratives, Patrick’s question is not just a joke—it is a significant part of the ongoing discussion.
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There was a rapid and very funny online reaction from the community, which demonstrated the exceptional place that Patrick occupies among the fandom. Most of the comments discussed his notorious career of ripping apart video game lore on his now-defunct YouTube channels. One user very accurately captured the whole mood with a comment that read, “HELLLO INTERNET AND WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER MATPAT VIDEO EXPLAINING LORE,” copying his distinctive greeting. Another Twitter user remarked: “Matpat is now lore himself,” suggesting that the guy who makes hypotheses has been integrated into the very narratives he used to spend years analyzing. The theme of the analyst and the subject being intertwined was a recurrent theme in the exchanges.
Humor was the main vegetable in the salad of responses, and at the same time, the community was also very sympathetic toward Patrick’s recent retirement from creating content permanently. There is definitely some new info being delivered by that FNAF movie and it is probably very tempting for the veteran theorist. One observer joked, “doing literally everything but actually retiring,” while another one pleaded, “QUICK SOMEBODY REMIND HIM HE IS RETIRED BEFORE WE LOOSING HIM.” It looks like comments like that paint a picture of a community that is at the same time delighted and amused by the ongoing interaction of the theorist with the new material. They are very well aware of the difficult aspect of exiting the world of theories which is being made clearer. One person even said, “This is what I picture Mat was like on the set. Just thinking ‘man, what a bad time to retire…WITH ALL THIS LORE AROUND’.”
The Nightmarionne plush, which was exactly what was pointed out in the video, did not go unnoticed by vigilant fans. One of them declared, “The Nightmarionne plushies are starting to appear everywhere…. It is lore!” This statement is directly related to the FNAF community’s way of working where literally everything—every prop, every line of dialogue, and every visual clue—is subjected to the scrutiny for deeper meaning. That the Nightmarionne character was included in the movie’s marketing material is seen as a key detail of huge importance for analysis and, of course, theory-crafting. Another user simply stated, “Nightmarionne in the Movie is actually crazy LOREEEE,” thus emphasizing the thrill of this development.
In addition to jokes about Patrick’s retirement, there was a strong sense of nostalgia and affection for the good old times with Patrick that was felt just as strong as the seal of Patrick’s work. One encouraging comment went, “Hi Matpat! I’ve always loved your content and I know you don’t know me, but the work you have done, has had a profound impact on my life, so thank you. Also… LOOOOORE!!!” This mixture of gratitude and enthusiasm for lore perfectly illustrates the way in which Patrick connects with his audience throughout the years. The post was intended to be small yet powerful and remind us of his influence which is still very much present even in his semi-retired state. The very question “But seriously…is this lore?” became a rallying call effectively, bringing the community back together around a familiar and favorite pastime.
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At last, Patrick’s post is a testimony to his role in gaming culture in the future. He might have cut down his video output to a trickle but his gut feeling for finding and dissecting attractive stories is still there. The warm reception of his question indicates that the interest in his unique perspective has not diminished at all. In the case of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, where story and speculation are very close to each other and it is not easy to determine which is which, Patrick’s query was not simply a meme but a reaffirmation of the mutual excitement. To his son Ollie.
