Is Scott Cawthon retiring?
ACCLAIMED animator Scott Cawthon is hanging up his creating boots to "focus his attention" on his family. He shared his news on the seventh anniversary of the release of the first trailer of his most successful creation, Five Nights at Freddy's. Scott Cawthon is an American animator, author, producer and video game developer, best known for creating indie horror game Five Nights at Freddy's. The 43-year-old Texan first joined the world of digital design and animation in the 1990's before releasing his first official games nearly a decade later. The devout Christian later joined the team at Hope Animation, where he brought his illustration ideas for children based on his religious values to life. 3 He is best known for creating the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise Credit: ScottGames / Steel Wool Studios  Cawthon then took his artistry to YouTube in 2007 with an animated series, The Pilgrim's Progress, before going on to develop numerous other games. He began the acclaimed video game franchise of Five Nights at Freddy's in 2014, which proved his big break and was a roaring success. He lives in Salado, Texas with his pregnant wife and five sons. The acclaimed animator announced his retirement this week in the wake of online backlash regarding political donations he has made to Republican candidates, including Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell. Online users found his contributions in public databases and subsequently discussed his political beliefs on Twitter. He addressed the issue in a Reddit post where he admitted he is a member of the Republican party, has made many large financial donations in support of GOP politicians, and is pro-life. 3 He has donated to numerous Republicans over the years and said he won't apologise for it Credit: @real_scawthon  Cawthon said he "won't apologise for" the funding, but added that "with so many people from the LGBT community in the fanbase that I love", it was "not an option" to ignore the backlash. "Ive had a blessed, fulfilling, and rich career," he wrote on his personal website. "Ive been shown great kindness and Ive tried to show great kindness in return. Ive tried to make some good games (let the debate ensue), and Ive witnessed the creation of possibly the most creative and talented fanbase on the planet. UFOs may be threat to US security, lawmakers warn after briefing  "But here on the seventh anniversary of the first games trailer, as I realize that I was in my mid-30s when I created the series and now Im approaching my mid-40s, I realize that I miss a lot of things that I got to focus on before Five Nights at Freddys became such a success. "I miss making games for my kids, I miss doing it just for fun, and I miss making RPGs even though I stink at it. All of this is to say that I am retiring." Cawthon plans to appoint someone to oversee the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise in wake of his retirement, which is set to release its ninth installment this year.