Scott Cawthon facts for kids

Scott Braden Cawthon is an American video game creator, writer, and producer. He is most famous for making Five Nights at Freddy's, a series of scary survival horror video games. This game series grew into a huge media franchise with books and movies.

Scott Cawthon started his career making family-friendly Christian video games. These games didn't become very popular. In 2014, he switched to making horror games with the first Five Nights at Freddy's game. This game was a big hit and quickly gained many fans. By 2023, Cawthon had made seven main games in the series and four spin-off games. Besides games, he also wrote several books for the franchise and helped write and produce the Five Nights at Freddy's movie (2023).

Scott Cawthon's Career

Early Games and Animations

Scott Cawthon is a Christian. He started his game development journey by creating his own Christian adventure games. His first professional game was called Iffermoon. He went to the Art Institute of Houston in 1996 to learn about computer graphics. He taught himself how to make games using a special tool called Clickteam Fusion. Scott was also part of a group of Christian artists called Hope Animation, where he made animated Christian films.

Some of his well-known religious projects included Pilgrim's Progress (2012) and The Desolate Hope (2012). These Christian games were generally liked, but they didn't make enough money to support his family. So, he decided to make other computer games and free-to-play mobile games that could provide a steady income. These games sometimes only earned a small amount of money each month. He also worked as a programmer and in retail stores.

In 2013, Scott submitted a family-friendly game called Chipper & Sons Lumber Co. to Steam Greenlight.

The Five Nights at Freddy's Series

Video Games

In the summer of 2014, Scott Cawthon submitted Five Nights at Freddy's to Steam's Greenlight system. He released a trailer and a demo first. The game quickly became popular on IndieDB and was accepted on Steam in August 2014. Critics liked the game, and it became super famous through many "Let's Play" videos on YouTube.

A second game, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, came out later that year. After its release, Scott's website went "offline," then started showing teasers for Five Nights at Freddy's 3, which was released in March 2015.

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 was released in 2015, with a free Halloween update. Scott then announced a new game called FNaF World. This game was different; it was a role-playing video game instead of a horror game. It came out on January 21, 2016. FNaF World had some problems and glitches, so Scott removed it from Steam a few days later. An improved version was later released for free on Game Jolt.

On May 21, 2016, Scott released a teaser for Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location. This game introduced new animatronics and circus versions of Foxy and Freddy. It was released on October 7, 2016, and was well-received.

On July 3, 2017, Scott joked that he was canceling a sixth main Five Nights at Freddy's game. He said he needed to focus on other parts of his life. However, this was just a prank, and he released Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator on December 4, 2017.

On June 28, 2018, the seventh main game, Ultimate Custom Night, was released for free on Steam. It features over 50 characters from the series. Scott also mentioned plans for console versions, virtual reality, and augmented reality games.

In early 2019, Scott announced he was working with Steel Wool Studios to make more Five Nights at Freddy's games. He would focus on the stories, character designs, and gameplay. On May 28, 2019, the virtual reality game Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted was released for PC and PlayStation VR. A DLC update, Curse of Dreadbear, followed in October 2019.

In September 2019, a teaser for an augmented reality game, Five Nights at Freddy's: Special Delivery, was released. It came out for free on iOS and Android on November 25, 2019.

On August 8, 2019, for the first game's fifth anniversary, Scott teased the tenth game in the series. It showed a modern shopping mall with a laser tag area, arcade, cinema, and a Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Later teasers showed characters like Glamrock Freddy, Vanny, and Montgomery Gator. The game's title was eventually revealed as Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.

On September 16, 2020, during a PlayStation 5 showcase, it was announced that Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach would come to PlayStation 5. It would feature cool graphics like real-time ray tracing and free-roam gameplay. The game was first released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC.

On June 16, 2021, Scott Cawthon announced he was stepping back from public game development. He said he wanted to spend more time with his children. He planned to choose someone else to continue the Five Nights at Freddy's series, while he would still be involved in a smaller way.

On October 18, 2023, Scott released his first game since his retirement, Freddy in Space 3: Chica in Space. This game was released as a tie-in for the Five Nights at Freddy's movie.

Novels

In December 2015, Scott Cawthon teased his first novel, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story, which was later renamed Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes. The book was released on December 17, 2015, as an ebook for Amazon. A paperback version is also available. Scott said the book was released early by mistake. In June 2016, he announced a three-book deal with Scholastic Corporation. The Silver Eyes was reprinted in paperback, and two more books were planned for 2017 and 2018.

On June 27, 2017, Scott's second novel, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones, was released. It was a sequel to The Silver Eyes. Its story follows the main character, Charlie, as she gets pulled back into the world of her father's scary creations. On August 29, 2017, Scott released the first official guide book for Five Nights at Freddy's, called The Freddy Files. It has character info, hidden secrets, game tips, and fan theories.

On December 26, 2017, Scott released a second guide book, Survival Logbook. This book was designed for physical writing, like an activity book. It had word searches, drawing grids, and fill-in-the-blank activities, all of which held secrets about the game's story.

On June 26, 2018, the third novel, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Fourth Closet, was released.

On December 26, 2019, the first book in an eleven-book series, Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit, was released. More books in this series were announced over time.

Film Adaptation

Warner Bros. Pictures announced in April 2015 that they would make a movie based on the Five Nights at Freddy's series. Scott Cawthon wanted to be very involved in the movie to make sure fans would love it.

In March 2017, Scott posted a picture of himself at Blumhouse Productions, suggesting a new company was making the film. Producer Jason Blum confirmed this, saying he was excited to work closely with Scott. On February 13, 2018, Blumhouse Productions announced that Chris Columbus would direct and produce the film with Blum and Cawthon.

In August 2018, Scott said the movie would be based on the first game. If more movies were made, they would be based on the second and third games. Later that month, Blum hinted at a 2020 release. However, in November 2018, Scott announced that the movie's script was changed, and it would be delayed.

On November 20, 2020, Scott shared that the film finally had a finished script and would start filming in spring 2021. But in September 2021, Blum said there were still script issues, and Chris Columbus was no longer directing. In October 2022, Emma Tammi was announced as the new director. She also co-wrote the script with Scott and Seth Cuddeback. The Five Nights at Freddy's movie was released on October 27, 2023. It made over $296 million at the box office, even though critics had mixed reviews.

Personal Life

Scott Cawthon lives in Texas with his wife and six children. One of his sons, Braden Cawthon, is also a writer.

Works

Video Games (Ludography)

Scott Cawthon has created many video games throughout his career. Here are some of them:

Films and Series (Filmography)

Scott Cawthon has also been involved in creating films and series:

Films

Series

Animator only

See also

In Spanish: Scott Cawthon para niños