Fnaf's Dark Roots: Chuck E Cheese Shooting Inspiration?

The popular video game and movie franchise Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) has sparked numerous fan theories about its inspiration. One of the most prominent theories suggests that the FNAF story is based on the tragic shooting that occurred at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, in 1993. On December 14, 1993, a former employee, Nathan Dunlap, entered the Chuck E. Cheese establishment and fatally shot four employees while injuring a fifth. This real-life event has been speculated to have influenced the creator of FNAF, Scott Cawthon, particularly due to the parallels between the settings and the use of animatronics in both the game and the restaurant chain. While there is no definitive proof of this connection, the theory has gained traction among fans and continues to be a subject of interest.

The 1993 Chuck E. Cheese shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which left four employees dead and one injured

On December 14, 1993, 19-year-old Nathan Dunlap entered a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, and shot five employees, killing four and injuring one. Dunlap, a former employee of the restaurant, was frustrated about being fired five months prior to the shooting and sought revenge. He arrived at the restaurant at 9:00 p.m., ordered a ham and cheese sandwich, and played an arcade game. He then hid in the restroom and, after closing, exited and began shooting employees with a .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Dunlap first shot Sylvia Crowell, 19, who was cleaning the salad bar. She was shot from close range in the right ear and was mortally wounded. Ben Grant, 17, was fatally shot near the left eye as he was vacuuming. Colleen O'Connor, 17, was fatally shot once through the temple. Bobby Stephens, 20, the lone survivor of the shooting, had stepped out for a smoke break and returned to the restaurant as the shooting unfolded. As he was unloading utensils into the dishwasher, Dunlap came through the kitchen door, raised his handgun, and fired a shot that struck Stephens in the jaw. Stephens fell to the floor and played dead. Dunlap then forced Marge Kohlberg, 50, the store manager, to unlock the safe. After she opened it, Dunlap shot her in the ear. As he was taking the cash out of the safe, he noticed that Kohlberg was still moving and fired a second fatal shot through her other ear.

Stephens managed to escape through a back door and alerted a nearby resident that he and others had been shot. He was hospitalized at Denver General Hospital in fair condition. Authorities arrived on the scene and found two bodies in the restaurant's hallway, a third in a room off the hallway, and the fourth in the manager's office. Crowell was also taken to Denver General Hospital, where she was declared brain dead. She died from her injuries the next day at Aurora Regional Medical Center.

Dunlap fled the scene with $1,500 worth of cash and game tokens. He was arrested at his mother's apartment twelve hours later. He was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, and burglary in 1996 and was initially sentenced to death by lethal injection. However, in 2020, his death sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole after Colorado abolished the death penalty.

The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise and its similarities to the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain

The Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) franchise shares several similarities with the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain. Both are pizza restaurants featuring animatronic characters that play music for children. The animatronic characters in both FNAF and Chuck E. Cheese include a range of animals, such as ducks, dogs, and dinosaurs, as well as human-like characters.

The FNAF franchise may also have drawn inspiration from the history of Chuck E. Cheese. In the games, two rival pizza chains with animatronic characters merge to become Fazbear Entertainment Co., which mirrors the real-life merger of Pizza-Time Theater and Showbiz Pizza Palace to form Chuck E. Cheese. Additionally, the rivalry and collaboration between Henry Emily and William Afton in the FNAF novels may be inspired by the competition and eventual collaboration between the founders of the two pizza chains that merged to form Chuck E. Cheese.

The connection between FNAF and Chuck E. Cheese was first proposed by Game Theorist Matthew Patrick (MatPat) in 2014. MatPat outlined several similarities between the FNAF game and a mass shooting that occurred at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, in 1993. In both the game and the real-life event, employees were killed, and the events took place in the same year. However, it is important to note that the mass shooting at Chuck E. Cheese was not connected to the animatronic characters, and there is no definitive proof that this event inspired the FNAF franchise.

While there are clear parallels between FNAF and Chuck E. Cheese, the creator of FNAF, Scott Cawthon, has never officially confirmed any direct inspiration. Cawthon prefers to let the games speak for themselves and has not commented on the theory connecting FNAF to the Chuck E. Cheese shooting. Despite this, the theory persists due to the striking similarities between the two.

The theory that the FNAF game was inspired by the Chuck E. Cheese shooting

The popular video game "Five Nights at Freddy's" (FNAF) shares some striking similarities with the family entertainment restaurant chain Chuck E. Cheese. Both feature pizza restaurants with animatronic characters that play music for children. The similarities have led to speculation that the game's creator, Scott Cawthon, drew inspiration from Chuck E. Cheese, and specifically, a tragic shooting that took place at one of its locations in 1993.

On December 14, 1993, a former employee, 19-year-old Nathan Dunlap, entered a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, and shot and killed four employees while injuring a fifth. This incident, which was the deadliest mass shooting in Colorado history at the time, may have been the inspiration for the dark and twisted world of FNAF.

The theory connecting the game to the shooting was popularised by YouTuber Matthew Patrick, known as MatPat, on his channel "The Game Theorists." In a 2014 video, MatPat outlined several similarities between FNAF and the Chuck E. Cheese shooting, including the year in which they both took place. While the events in the game differ significantly from the real-life tragedy, the parallels are striking. In the game, the murders are committed by animatronics, whereas, in reality, the perpetrator was a disgruntled former employee seeking revenge.

Despite the lack of definitive proof, the theory has persisted and gained traction among fans. The game's creator, Scott Cawthon, has never publicly commented on the theory, preferring to let the games speak for themselves. However, it is clear that FNAF draws inspiration from Chuck E. Cheese and its history, including the rivalry and merger of two competing animatronic pizza chains, Pizza-Time Theater and Showbiz Pizza Palace, which eventually became Chuck E. Cheese.

The Game Theorists' YouTube channel and its extensive coverage of FNAF lore

The YouTube channel "Game Theory", created and hosted by MatPat, is well-known for its in-depth exploration of the lore and theories surrounding the popular horror franchise "Five Nights at Freddy's" (FNAF). One of the most popular theories discussed by MatPat and his team is the connection between FNAF and the Chuck E. Cheese's pizza restaurant chain.

The theory suggests that FNAF, a video game franchise created by Scott Cawthon, may have been inspired by a tragic event that occurred at a Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant in 1993. On December 14, 1993, a former employee, 19-year-old Nathan Dunlap, returned to the restaurant and shot and killed four employees, injuring a fifth. This incident, which took place in Aurora, Colorado, was one of the deadliest mass shootings in the state's history at the time.

While the in-game murders in FNAF were not directly related to the animatronics, as in the Chuck E. Cheese's tragedy, there are several intriguing parallels between the two. The year of the events in the game is also 1993, and the game features a closed-down pizzeria that once housed beloved animatronics, similar to Chuck E. Cheese's. Additionally, the rival pizza chains in the game that merge to form Fazbear Entertainment Co. mirror the real-life merger of Pizza-Time Theater and Showbiz Pizza Palace into Chuck E. Cheese.

MatPat's coverage of the theory includes a detailed analysis of the evidence and the potential influences on Cawthon's creation of FNAF. The theory gained traction among fans and sparked further discussion and speculation about the connections between the game and the real-life tragedy. Despite the compelling arguments, Cawthon has not confirmed or denied the inspiration, preferring to let the games speak for themselves.

The Game Theorists channel has also delved into other aspects of FNAF lore, such as the nature of the animatronics, the identities of the characters, and the deeper meanings within the game's narrative. MatPat's deep dives into FNAF have contributed to the ongoing discussion and analysis of the complex and intriguing lore that surrounds the franchise.

The creator of FNAF, Scott Cawthon, and his crisis of faith

The creator of the popular horror video game series Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF), Scott Cawthon, is a devout Christian who began his career in game development making self-funded Christian games. However, these games were not profitable, and he had a wife and children to support. This led to a crisis of faith, where Cawthon questioned the existence of God and even contemplated suicide.

Cawthon decided to transition to non-Christian computer and mobile games, which provided a steadier source of income. His first non-Christian game, Chipper & Sons Lumber, received negative reviews, with players finding the characters creepy and resembling "scary" animatronics. This criticism inspired Cawthon to create something even scarier, which led to the development of FNAF.

FNAF is set in a fictional pizza restaurant with malfunctioning animatronic characters and draws clear parallels with Chuck E. Cheese, a pizza restaurant chain known for its animatronics. There is also a theory that the game is based on a tragic shooting that took place at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in 1993. While Cawthon has not confirmed this theory, the timing and similarities suggest a potential connection.

Cawthon's journey with FNAF highlights his struggle between his faith and the financial pressures of the gaming industry. Despite his success, he continued to grapple with his faith, as evident in his later decision to retire from public game development due to controversy over his political donations.

Frequently asked questions