Game Theory: FNAF, A Family REBUILT (Ultimate Timeline Finale)

Watching Matpat's descent into madness in trying to solve or make a narrative sense of this franchise is a joy honestly.

MatPat is the main reason I enjoy this fandom and franchises so much. Accepting his theories as cannon has let me enjoy this so much

Not to discredit Scott's success but I think he owes it to Markiplier and Game Theory among MANY other content creators for FNAF's success. They helped make it go viral and certainly helped keep it that way. Which, is interesting because while there's been other smaller instances of this over the years before and since but this stands alone as the single biggest and longest viral video game phenomenon fueled by online content creation since. It's a SUPER interesting artifact of internet history.

I love the fact that MatPat has literally found a way to explain that the skins in FNAF AR are *canon*, and in a way that actually makes sense in the story. Well done.

Round of a applause for the Editors, the writers and everyone involved, thank you all so much,🎉🎉 your all amazing and we are so lucky to be a part of a community that puts so much work into these videos. Love the wife threoy and idk why I didn't think of it before. A clap and a half to everyone. 😊(if MatPat allows.)

Matt BETTER be in the FNAF movie as a cameo. He deserves it for all the work he's put into making sense of this franchise

I’m glad that Mat made this whole timeline story. I don’t even care if/that he got something wrong here or there, it’s just a story and I’m here to enjoy hearing it come from MatPat.

MatPat is legit the reason i try to dip deeper into things when the answer seems off, i have been watching this man for like 5 years and still i cant get enough of his FNaf content

I have always been dissatisfied with the idea that Mrs. Afton just disappeared or unalived off-screen, especially because this story so heavily centers around family dynamics, so I think this theory is fantastic. I was wondering where she fit in, and I think this is a great place to put her that also makes every other piece flow smoothly together (for the most part). Even if it doesn’t end up being canon, I really appreciate you putting her front and center in a theory and starting up the discussion around Mrs. Afton again. Great job!

Even if Scott says that this is wrong, I love it. This feels complete and tells all the knowledge that we know about in a great story

When MatPat first said the words "Clara Afton", I was thinking to myself "Oh boy, these are gonna be some massive logic leaps...", but then, as I was sitting and listening to the theory, I actually really fell in love with it. The idea that the in universe Freddy Fazbear IP stayed in the Afton family does feel more fitting than it just going to a random person, especially given things like FNAF AR's remnant collection feature and the deliberate decision to build the Pizzaplex over the old restaurant. It did always feel like a cop-out to just say that Mrs. Afton disappeared or killed herself, and while I don't know if there's really enough evidence to make this a confirmed theory, I still really like this idea a lot!
I'm looking forward to seeing how the film is going to change the narrative... I suspect that Michael Afton's very existence is going to be officially solidified with its release.... which I suspect is why he wasn't featured in the FNAF character encyclopedia. Between the production of Ruin and the movie, I suspect that we're finally going to get our questions answered.

honestly i'm really proud of everyone who worked on this to make it happen

Scott, Matpat and Markiplier made this franchise what it is in the best way possible for us to experience let’s be honest

I think not wanting the virus to spread makes sense. She wants to bring her husband back not turn him into the Grey Goo scenario, and the fact he originally went down this route to begin with says a lot about what he'd do with that level of power.

I remember being obsessed w fnaf when I was 10 years old. Watching and drawing fnaf stuff and even influencing my friends into it. Fnaf has had a lot of impact in my life and Im very thankful to GT and other theorists for the videos that help me enjoy my childhood obsession by a whole lot

With all the pieces put together, this could confirm the mysteries of the Post-Afton Era and what led to the future of FNAF. Well done MatPat and to everyone who made all of these theories.

You all have done an elegant job of fitting together the pieces of a story that wasn't as well-written as your efforts deserved. Congratulations to all of the writers, editors, and other creative who worked on this project :).

You did it. You somehow made the gameplay loop of FNAF AR make sense within the continuity. I didn't think that was possible.
In complete seriousness, I hope you and all the team feel a massive weight off your shoulders. This feels like this is what the plot should be, and I hope it's not made wrong too quickly.

The fact that this man, found a way to make Special Delivery canon is why I will forever be impressed with Matpat and his videos.

This is probably one of your biggest takes in all of your FNAF vids and my God is it still genius. Like it all makes so much sense and is thematically satisfying. Like all the clues had similar themes, the consistency of the writing relying on old clues, and the way it somehow all fits within a sound timeline. This is for sure as accurate as it gets. I feel like if you used your brain as detective, you could become a better detective than Batman xD

I can’t believe this might be it for this phase of FNAF. I’ve been watching this journey play out since I was a kid and here we are now. It’s been a wild ride and I thank you MatPat and the rest of Team Theorist, for making my childhood. Now we wait until the new content comes out and changes everything again.

Coming away from this whole timeline, I think the biggest thing I'm left wanting is a closer look back at the very early years. You've done an amazing job putting together the incredibly complex pieces of this franchise, but the one line in your first video about Afton being inspired by the work of Walt Disney hit me harder than any of the death and spirits and robots of the whole rest of the timeline.

Your FNAF theories have always entertained me and essentially kept my interest in the fandom alive

And MadPat continue his descent, as we finally have a story that kinda makes sense. Thank you Mat and team, for your sacrifice to make this insanity happen. I really hope the dlc doesn't contradict any of this.

As much as complicated the FNAF lore has always been, we should all still give respect that this one man has never given up on making us intrigued no matter what. Believe me if FNAF never happened, then MatPat would have never gotten the respect and passion he made to create one of the biggest phenomenons on not just Five Nights at Freddy’s, but gaming history in general. So MatPat I just want to say thank you for always never giving up on your theories and giving us so much interesting content that impacted so much over the years.

Awesome video! So glad that the editors got a shoutout at the end. They absolutely knocked it out of the park with this timeline series. The animations, transitions, audio clips, etc. all really enhance the video and make it much more engaging and easy to understand.

Honestly, even if something here is wrong, I'm happy with the story y'all have compiled/crafted. Thank y'all for all the hard work💜

So proud of the Theorists team on this one!!! Congrats on finishing this huge project!🎉

Its a HUGE accomplishment to make a theory that ties things close enough! To hold on this long to connect the pieces? You deserve some sort of award…
Hopefully the DLC shines a bit more on the story… and lord only know what the movie is gonna do to the fan base…

I can’t believe Mat somehow made FNaF AR a part of the timeline and also made it make a relative amount of sense is honestly impressive, great job Mat. :)

I love it. I know you want feedback, but it does wrap up a whole lot of issues this series has had. I can't wait to watch this all stitched together a couple times before I start my own theories again.
Keep it up team!

I’m proud of this too.
It’s stuff like this that really makes me look up to team theorist!

Best birthday present a theorist could ask for! Love the editing and how fluid everything was pieced together, chef’s kiss!

My childhood has come to a close. Thank you mat. :)

Amazing job actually making the timeline sound like a fleshed out and coherent story.

Imagine if Scott just throws random lore at us, waits for MatPat to make a timeline that makes sense, then uses it as the actual lore, wouldn't that be funny

Honestly, this is probably the best explanation for Fnaf we're ever going to get and I love it. Especially the Afton Era/Mike Undoing F.E. Era

Amazing!! I was so excited about this series and thank you to all of the talent and work that went into this😭 its a must watch for fnaf fans

Everytime i see a MatPat video about the “Final” FNAF timeline, I just laugh. Because it never truly ends and will probably keep us confused for another 10 years.

While I love having lore fleshed out, it all has a sense of melancholy. We have been at this for about a decade, and now all of MatPat's work is paying off. Excellent work

Mat who defined the lore, markiplier who popularized the game and Scott created it. Truly a powerful trio 😂

We appreciate all of your efforts! Both Mat AND the editors!

Wow, we gotta appreciate how much effort the Team Theorist put into this one. Kudos :3

First of all you just figured out how to work Shamrock Freddy into the lore which is so so so very impressive. Second being able to figure out Ms. Aftons name is insane. 3rd I love this story. 4th this whole theory makes so much sense.

We're proud of you too Matpat! How you keep track of everything in this franchise is absolutely beyond me.

Can’t wait to come back in 2 years and see how much of this timeline is still kept

Watching this franchise evolve over the past what- 8, almost 9 years has been such a crazy experience. I have tuned in for every single upload (there’s been 68 of them). Love this channel and all fellow theorists

The fact that he made shamrock Freddy not only canon but make sense is impressive

I have to say, this game theory gave me so much more respect for SB and Help Wanted and how they fit into the lore. Thank you so much Mat!

So glad you mentioned Id! They're doing some great theorizing imo, clearly very knowledgeable in the story. Would love to see them on a Live!

I had to rewatch the previous ones before this one to fully understand your timeline. There's still holes that need to be filled, like the dates on the paychecks or who died first with it either being CC or Elizabeth because during the Afton Era, you said two different things. You were constructing the story based on the locations and murders that started from CC, but once we got to Circus Baby's Pizza World and the Bunker you made it sound as if Elizabeth was the start of it all.

At some point in the future, Matpat should sit down on GT Live, and over the period of a "few" streams, rewatch all of his old FNAF theories, and talk about what holds up still, and what is WAAAY off the mark with the knowledge we have today.

MatPat is so focused on this series I wouldn’t be surprised if he became the next afton

Let’s take a moment to commend all the editors on game theory, this was amazing!

I was listening to the theories. Not watching them. But I WATCHED the entirety of the Ultimate Timeline thanks to Matpat's brilliant narration

I liked you bringing Afton's ex-wife back into the story. It makes the most sense logically and adds depth to a previously unexplored character.

Well done. Like honestly, this is such an impressive feat of work.

Mad respect for taking a risk against Twitters wrath by involving Mrs. Afton in this theory, I actually believe it's that "we don't talk about bruno" ish mindset that was keeping the fandom from understanding the afton family of its entirety, Especially since she has a whole animatronic that represents her she's definitely more involved in this story then we once thought

Can't wait for the full timeline video. It's gonna be great

I LOVED THIS!! It was by far my fav! I love the detail you put into it MatPat! I enjoyed this VERY much!

What an incredible final theory… Can’t wait for the next one

I have been enjoying these fnaf theories a lot. Thank you for going through all of the research on this franchise.

Insane watching this since the beginning with Matpat, watching the literal YEARS of theories, theorizing with friends as a kid. All thanks to game theory. If this may be the end, thank you but we all know it isn’t yet 😉

After so many years it’s finally over, and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you MatPat, for this detailing this amazing journey.

This will be the last Game Theory video I'll probably ever watch, my watching habits have changed so much since this channel started that FNAF was the one I was holding out for. I'm really satisfied with this ending to an era of my life and I appreciate all of the work that has gone into every video I watched.

Really impressive retelling of the lore. Not a huge fnaf gamer but love your storytelling. Hopefully we can get a few non horror theories for a bit.

Makes sense. The games we've played were legit games to throw us off so it made sense why The Lady Afton is alive and also we she didn't die. It makes a lot more sense now. A Broken Mother who wanted her family back. Also why the Balora was at the front of the table. She was the boss and also loving Mother who wanted a Family.

This was a very interesting take on the timeline, I think you did a great job! But I'm confused about one thing. What's Vanny's part in this timeline? If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them... because vanny has been the biggest question for me.

I absolutely love the moments when MatPat drops the storyteller's mask and repeats what he just said DIRECTLY to Scott and Steel Wool.

I love the fact that MatPat kept it vague on whether or not Gregory is aware he’s a robot or whether something happened to make him forget and think he’s a normal boy or if he’s aware and he’s just been lying so he can destroy the Afton legacy and I find that very cool

I cant believe MatPat might have actually made me like the security breach lore (ridiculous though it may be)... this is unfathomable.

Cant wait to see you guys in a couple of years for the next final timeline!

I am SO happy that Mrs.afton worked her away into the lore finally. I always wanted her to be useful or more present than just an easter egg or idea. Even if there are some quirks to work out, I'm just happy she's important.

Well, I must say I wasn't expecting that also 😂 the fnaf dlc can't wait to see how that comes into play!

After 9 years, he's finally done it! Well done, Matpat. You've done it all, the timeline is finished. You've come so far and we are proud!

4:31 "There were too many ideas going in too many different directions."
This may be the most meta line of the entire series.

1: congrats Fuhnaff for getting a shoutout in an official game theory video!
2: I love the idea of Mrs Afton being ceo. She always felt missing in the lore, it’s nice that she’d be present in the story.

Combine all four videos? Curious how long it’ll be and would be very interesting to rewatch lol. Great awesome timeline otherwise and brings some interesting thoughts and questions.

Thank you for the series. Life has gotten a little easier for me, but it's your vids that keep me going when I don't have a north star ❤

Nice theory, seems plausible. Will be interesting to see what the DLC shows us. Whatever comes in the future of the franchise, I thoroughly enjoyed this timeline.

These theories were so much fun to watch, thank you matpat

I'm really shocked about this theory, but love it! Another banger video Mat! Well done 👍

This has been a rollercoster to listen to, but it does seem to be a very cohesive story that you have put together.

it was dope seeing John Fuhnaff's theories represented. truly a legend

Me watching this as someone new to the fandom: *nodding and writing down the important info* thank you for making these! Now you can finally be done. Hooray!

I have no stakes in how much sense this makes, i just want to say one thing:
"All I see is an empty room, no more joy, an empty tomb" gives me the exact same vibes as one of my favourite lines in gaming: "Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone, but my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on."
Just had to throw that out there.

I honestly love the way you made Afton's wife as an actual character with narative importance! It tied her in quite well.

I like how Mrs. Afton was rarely mentioned in the lore and now her she's the main character that she deserves lol

number 1 on gaming trending. wow. a decade of work, all coming together.

Matpat better get a cameo in the fnaf movie, he has so much dedication to the franchise

It’s Amazing This Timeline Feels Closest To The Story Great Job Superstar!

In the last FNAF video, MatPat said that we’d either LOVE or HATE this one. And I’m happy to say that I LOVE THIS. I think that it makes a lot of sense. I’ve seen and heard a lot about this part of the franchise and I think it’s great that it finally fits together in a narrative way.
Whether or not any of this was ever intended, it doesn’t matter. I love this Story that the “FNAF Boys” came up with. The whole timeline is great, even if there’s a lot of logical jumps.
But this is Five Nights at Freddy’s, after all.

I love that Mrs. Afton has a bigger role in the story now. She’s always just kinda been there for the fact that Afton had a family. I think it’s so cool that she serves a bigger purpose in the lore now!

FNAF story makers can honestly just watch Matt’s videos and make their timeline based on his analysis 😂 This is crazy

I know that things need to happen this way for plot's sake, but I can't help but feel like a lot of these plot points would have been resolved earlier if someone along the lines had the thought to hire a private investigator, bounty hunter, or any type of mercenary type to go rogue animontric/spirit/serial killer hunting.

Great job on some really hard videos. The Theorist Team is amazing. I don't think it is all right, but there are some compelling ideas here.

This is so fulfilling after so many years of watching game theory im so happy about this "final" theory

Having seen this entire FNAF Timeline series now, I feel the biggest thing I've taken away from it is how FNAF has almost crafted this idea of customizable storytelling.
I mean, honestly almost all of MatPat's more controversial takes in this timeline conflict with my own personal headcanon. But putting that aside, I still find this to be an amazing narrative.
And I think that's the idea. Scott has given us pieces. I'm sure he has a definitive timeline of how those pieces fit together, but he's told this story in such a way that each of us can fit the pieces together in the way that we find the most satisfying.

I am deeply impressed with matpat's ability to make a cohesive story out of the creepy spaghetti knot that is FNAF. And then he just went and added the really out there animatronics to the 'these can totally be canon' pile with ease!