Rooster Teeth Is Shutting Down After 21 Years

[Demon_Skeith]

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, after unsuccessful attempts to sell the unprofitable fandom, gaming and comedy entertainment division, is shutting down Rooster Teeth’s operations. RT general manager Jordan Levin announced the shutdown of Austin-based Rooster Teeth at an all-hands meeting Wednesday and in a memo distributed to staff.

The closure of Rooster Teeth will result in layoffs of its approximately 150 full-time employees and will throw dozens of contractors and content creators out of work as well.

“t’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,” Levin wrote in the memo, obtained by Variety. “Our legacy is not just a collection of content but a history of pixels burned into our screens, minds, and hearts.” (Read the full memo below.)

Warner Bros. Discovery is currently in talks to sell the rights to certain Rooster Teeth catalog content and intellectual property such as the popular anime-style series “RWBY”, pioneering sci-fi spoof “Red vs. Blue,” and Michael B. Jordan’s animated mecha series “Gen:Lock.” In addition, WBD is seeking to sell the Roost podcast network, with shows spanning gaming, true crime, fandom, comedy and food, which for the time being will continue to operate.

“Warner Bros. Discovery thanks Rooster Teeth’s groundbreaking creators and partners, and the strong management team, for their many years of success,” the media company said in a statement. “Your passionate and loyal fans are testament to your achievements.”

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[cpvr]

It’s very unfortunate and sucks to see them go after 21 years of being in business. Seems to be happening a lot lately.

 

[Grungie]

I remember when the podcast went after Giantbomb for not giving a perfect score for Fallout 4.

Roosterteeth’s site was covered with Fallout 4 ads, and the hosts were wearing Pipboys when they were bitching about Giantbomb.

 

[Artisan Vistra]

Shame. They just couldn't make money at it. These are somewhat well-recognized shows that just ended.

 

[Shortie]

Wow! That's sad to see. 21 years is a long time! It sucks for those who were fans of the content they produced. It's never a good feeling when a long running company gets shut down.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

It is sad, but from the sounds of it recent years was rather bad for the company itself, though I will always enjoy their golden year content:

I hope someone gets RWBY IP and does it justice.

 

[froggyboy604]

This is sad news that Rooster Teeth is unprofitable after 21 years. Hopefully, the workers who lost their jobs can quickly find new jobs.