After 21 years, Warner Bros is closing Rooster Teeth

I was never a Halo fan but I always enjoyed the antics of Red vs Blue, a groundbreaking machinima that followed the antics of a hapless group of soldiers in the Halo universe. It debuted in 2003 (although its roots go back even further) as the first production of Rooster Teeth, and has continued to run until this day. But Red vs Blue is ending this year, and according to a Deadline report so is Rooster Teeth, which is being closed by parent company Warner Bros Discovery.

«Since inheriting ownership and control of Rooster Teeth from AT&T following its acquisition of TimeWarner, Warner Bros Discovery continued its investment in our company, content and community,» Rooster Teeth general manager Jordan Levin said in a memo. «Now however, it’s with a heavy heart I announce that Rooster Teeth is shutting down due to challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage.»

Levin said Rooster Teeth's closure «reflects broader industry dynamics,» including «monetization shifts, platform algorithms, advertising challenges, and the ebb and flow of patronage» that have resulted in numerous closures throughout the industry. The closure of Rooster Teeth coming alongside the final season of Red vs Blue wasn't intentional, he added, but «it's only appropriate.»

Warner is also looking into selling off Rooster Teeth's catalog and properties, including Red vs Blue, RWBY and Gen:LOCK, as well as the Roost Podcast Network, which covers a range of categories including gaming, true crime, fandom, comedy and food. The Roost Podcast Network will continue operating as usual in the meantime.

Rooster Teeth may not have the cultural relevance it once did, but for online oldsters in particular it was a genuine institution. From Red vs Blue it expanded into numerous other machinima and live-action video series; its presence was such that in 2006, Electronic Arts commissioned it to create ads for EA