Information addict and creator of “Game Theory,” and other channels under the Theory brand MatPat released a heartfelt goodbye video stating he will be stepping down from his YouTube career after 13 years.

Matthew Patrick, known as MatPat online, is an American YouTuber and creator of “Game Theory” and its spin-off channels “Film Theory”, “Food Theory”, and “Style Theory.” He has also hosted many charity and gaming livestreams on “GTLive”, his livestream channel. These channels center around analyzing various video games, films, TV, web shows, food, and fashion, respectively.

For nearly 13 years, MatPat has been at the forefront of these channels, narrating each episode, analyzing every detail of each theory, and spearheading the writing process. He and his wife, Stephanie, have cultivated over 40 million subscribers as well as over 8 billion total views across all five of his channels.

Yet, in a twenty-five minute YouTube video he posted on Jan. 9, MatPat stated he would be officially retiring from YouTube on March 9 of this year.

MatPat and Stephanie have prioritized their work for over a decade

“I am sitting down with a friend and we are talking about business logistics,” said MatPat. “I miss the days when I can just sit down on the couch with her and play video games and it is not for content. Or, playing a game and not thinking about the theories that may come out of that.” 

The internet is also changing. MatPat even acknowledged that other YouTubers that have been on the internet for over a decade, such as CaptainSparklez orStampylonghead, have also stepped down as the internet evolves. 

MatPat acknowledged the impact he has made and professed his admiration and gratitude to his fans throughout his goodbye. He also acknowledged the people he has inspired. MatPat’s signature phrase “That’s just a theory” has also been peppered among popular YouTube creators as a reference to the channel. The inspiration to future creators goes far beyond that, evidenced by numerous creators showing their support for him in the wake of his goodbye video.

Along with all of the personal reasons he laid out, he explained that the Theorist channels also rode high over the past year. The channels hit their highest viewing percentage ever, “Style Theory” launched and is now a top style and fashion channel on YouTube, which completed a series of channels in four different verticals that are each distinctively different. 

With the culmination of the past year being a career high, MatPat decided that it would be best to end on a high note.

 All the reasons came together for him, said MatPat, “This is the moment. It is hard to say because change is scary. Change is hard. But, sometimes the right decision is not the easy decision.”

MatPat in his last ten weeks on the channel will be releasing theories revisiting old favorites of his until the final “going away party” on March 9 as MatPat’s final theory.

The remaining channels will be passed down to the editors and creative heads that the Theorist channels previously had. Lee Collins will be taking over Film Theory, Amy Roberts will be hosting Style Theory, Santiago Massa will be hosting culinary adventures of Food Theory, and Tom Robison will be the writer and host of Game Theory. 

Even if he is stepping down, MatPat is not entirely shying away from creative content.

MatPat will continue to host Theorist’s fifth channel “GTLive”, from now until the foreseeable future at least through the end of the summer of 2024. He still will be alongside the directors and developing theories. He also will be creating a lo-fi video series, and hosting a digital creator fashion show that will air on Style Theory and other projects. 

With all those projects, MatPat gives his raw gratitude for the audience in the last few minutes of the video, “You ‘re not just a number, you’re not just ad impressions, you’re not just merch sales, what you have done for me and for what I’ve done for you is special.”

Without the audience that has grown alongside MatPat and the channels, the impact that these channels have made on YouTube alone, would not be as significant.

“What I wanted there to be a ripple impact, butterfly effect and all that, we have done it. I think we’ve been able to achieve something great here. You have taken me on the wildest, craziest, 13-year ride of my life, and I’m so grateful,” said MatPat.

While the Theorist channels remain in good hands and MatPat assured his audience he will not be entirely gone from their creative processes or from the internet as a whole, the now 37 year old husband and father explained that he will no longer be at the forefront. Tearfully, MatPat concludes for one final time “It’s just a theory, a game theory.”