Viral Post Claims Five Nights at Freddy's is Ending, But It's a Fake

A Facebook post claiming that Five Nights at Freddy's is done sent a wave of panic through the FNAF community this week. Turns out, it was all fiction.

The post, published on an account using Scott Cawthon's name, declared he had chosen to "close the doors for good" on the franchise after personal reflection and family discussions. It stated that current projects in development, including games, expansions, and books, would be the final pieces of official FNAF media. "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but every story needs an ending" the post read.

Sounds gut-wrenching. Except none of it is true.

Multiple people were quick to call out the post as fake, including YouTuber Adam Sklar, who previously managed several official FNAF social media accounts and says he remains in contact with the real Cawthon. No verified source has backed the claims made in the post.

What made this particularly easy to fall for is how much groundwork whoever runs the account had put in. The fake account has over 22,000 followers and had been posting legitimate Five Nights at Freddy's news and updates since as far back as March 2025. The post itself pulled in close to 14,000 reactions from fans who had no reason to doubt it. That's a long con by any measure.

There's also the timing to consider. The post appears to have been an April Fools' joke that someone forgot to actually post on April Fools' Day. It went up on April 2nd, a full day after the one occasion where fake announcements are sort of acceptable. That oversight probably cost it whatever shred of plausibility it might have had.

The Franchise Is Very Much Alive

Five Nights at Freddy's began as a solo indie horror game in 2014, with players surviving overnight shifts at a haunted animatronic pizza restaurant. What Scott Cawthon built from there spiralled into books, merchandise, multiple games, and a full film franchise.

Cawthon stepped back from direct game development in 2021 following fan backlash over his political donations, with Steel Wool Studios taking over development duties. He remains actively involved in the film side of things, serving as a producer alongside Blumhouse Productions.

The first FNAF film, released in 2023, grossed over $291 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. The 2025 sequel landed to a rough 11% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences told a different story, awarding it an 83% on the Popcornmeter. Critic-proof franchises with audiences this loyal don't get quietly retired.

As for what's next, a third film is reportedly in the works. Industry insider Daniel Richtman has shared that FNAF 3 is expected to begin filming in late summer 2026, with a 2027 release window being targeted. Matthew Lillard, who plays William Afton in the series, has a three-picture deal with Blumhouse and Universal, and has teased what's coming in the third film with some enthusiasm.

The FNAF franchise is not going anywhere. Anyone worried by that Facebook post can breathe easy.