Breaking: Warner Bros. to shut down Rooster Teeth for good

First off, the gut punch – Rooster Teeth is shutting down.

After 21 years of pioneering digital content creation and giving us gems like Red vs. Blue and our beloved RWBY, Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to close the curtain on this iconic studio. It’s like watching Pyrrha in the Volume 3 finale all over again – too soon, I know, but it hits right in the feels.

Jordan Levin, the general manager at Rooster Teeth, dropped this bombshell, citing the all-too-familiar tale of digital media challenges, shifts in consumer behavior, and the ever-elusive quest for monetization as the culprits behind this decision. In simpler terms, the digital landscape is changing faster than Ruby can speed through a horde of Grimm, and keeping up has become increasingly difficult.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. The Roost Podcast Network is still fluttering about, waiting to see if a new home is in its future. Plus, there’s still some Rooster Teeth-branded content lurking in the WBD pipeline, including a movie that’s about to drop. So, not everything is going the way of Beacon Academy post-Volume 3.

For those of us who’ve been riding the Rooster Teeth train since the early 2000s, it’s a bittersweet moment. This company, birthed in a garage in Buda, Texas, has been more than just a content creator - it’s been a community, a movement, a part of our geeky lives. From pioneering machinima with Red vs. Blue to creating a US-born series that Japan embraces as anime (RWBY, I’m looking at you), Rooster Teeth has been a beacon (pun intended) of creativity and innovation.

The memo from Levin is a love letter to all things Rooster Teeth, highlighting the incredible journey from viral memes to ground-breaking crowdfunding achievements. It’s a testament to the creative spirit that fueled the company and a nod to the community that built it up, brick by brick.

So, what now?

Well, we don our Jaune Arc armor and keep moving forward. The industry is changing, but the impact of Rooster Teeth will resonate for years to come. Let’s remember the laughs, the tears (so many tears), and the community that made it all worthwhile. Here’s to the creators, the fans, and everyone in between who made Rooster Teeth more than just a company – you made it a part of our lives.

And to Rooster Teeth, from all of us who’ve been with you since the beginning – thank you for the adventures, the stories, and the memories. You may be logging off, but you’ve left an indelible mark on the hearts of nerds everywhere.

Cheers to you, and whatever comes next.