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| MatPat | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) MatPat in May 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | Matthew Robert Patrick (1986-11-15)November 15, 1986 (age 38) Medina, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Education | Duke University (BA) | ||||||||||||
| Occupations | |||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Organization(s) | Co-founder, president and CEO of Theorist Media | ||||||||||||
| Website | wheresmatpat | ||||||||||||
| YouTube information | |||||||||||||
| Channels | Former host of The Game Theorists The Film Theorists The Food Theorists The Style Theorists GTLive | ||||||||||||
| Genre | Gaming[1] | ||||||||||||
| Subscribers | 40 million (combined)[a] | ||||||||||||
| Views | 10 billion (combined)[b] | ||||||||||||
| Network | Long Haul Management Clients & Partners[2]/Studio 71[3] | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Last updated: May 5, 2024 | |||||||||||||
Matthew Robert Patrick (born November 15, 1986), known professionally asMatPat, is an American formerYouTuber and internet personality. He is the creator and former host of theYouTube seriesGame Theory, and its spin-off channelsFilm Theory,Food Theory, andStyle Theory, each analyzing various video games, films alongside TV series and web series, food, and fashion respectively. Each of the different series is posted on individual channels, each named after the respective series. In addition to the creation of his channels, MatPat narrated the majority of the videos presented on his channels before his departure on March 9, 2024.
MatPat has also created the gaming channelGTLive and hosted theYouTube Premium seriesMatPat's Game Lab and the 2023Streamy Awards. As of May 2024, MatPat has amassed over 40 million subscribers, as well as over nine billion total views across all five of his channels. He departed the channels as a regular host in March 2024, although he continued to make minor appearances and hostGTLive until October 2024.
Matthew Robert Patrick[4] was born on November 15, 1986,[5] inMedina, Ohio.[6]: 02:00 He hasPolish,Czech, andSlovak ancestry.[7]: 00:15 He was nicknamed "MatPat" by his friends in sixth grade. An only child, MatPat was interested in video games,theater and school early on.[6]: 01:50–03:20 He was thevaledictorian of his high school and received an academic scholarship toDuke University,[8] graduating in 2009 with a double major intheater andpsychology with a concentration inneuroscience.[9]
To fulfill his dream of becoming an actor, MatPat moved toNew York after graduating and performing in theater productions to little success, spending two years unemployed.[6]: 04:20–06:15 His firstYouTube videos were auditions for stage plays. In 2011, he decided to revamp his channel as a "portfolio" which could demonstrate to potential employers his ability to write, research, and edit videos online.[9] Inspired by anExtra Credits episode ontangential learning,[8] MatPat uploaded the first episode ofGame Theory on April 18, 2011.[10] It discussed the idea oftime portals andquantum mechanics in the 1995 video gameChrono Trigger.[9]
The channel slowly gained subscribers and his videos were posted on the front pages of sites such asScrewAttack andGameTrailers.[11] In 2012, MatPat introduced two new segments hosted by fellow YouTubers Gaijin Goombah and Ronnie Edwards, and Austin Hourigan's "The SCIENCE!".[12] In 2015, MatPat launched the spin-off channelFilm Theory, which covers movies and television.[10] This channel reached over one million subscribers in a month.[13]
He occasionally uploaded videos commenting on the gaming market and gamers, as well as on other matters that he deemed noteworthy.[14] MatPat started aLet's Play series calledGTLive on August 26, 2015,[15] where he posts gameplay and video reactions with his wife Stephanie. Starting on October 3, 2016, the Monday streams became part ofYouTube Gaming Primetime, and were therefore scheduled for 3 pm to 5 pm PST. It also included a voting mechanism, which can be used by MatPat to conduct quick polls.[16] As of March 2022,GTLive had 2.94 million subscribers and over 649 million views. As of 2022, the GTLive channel continues to upload mostly unedited, pre-recorded content.
On June 8, 2016, MatPat posted via his YouTube channel a new show,MatPat's Game Lab, onGoogle's paid subscription service,YouTube Premium. The show mainly focused on placing video game players in real-life scenarios mimicking scenarios that occur in video games, such asbomb defusing,parkour,survival andmilitary training.[17][18] Despite MatPat's interest in developing a second season, YouTube did not announce any further development into the project.[19] He was also a part of the YouTube Premium seriesScare PewDiePie (2016),[20] created byPewDiePie, and the third season ofEscape the Night (2018), created byJoey Graceffa, in addition to cameo appearances inMarkiplier's YouTube Original filmsA Heist with Markiplier (2019) andIn Space with Markiplier (2022).
On May 29, 2016, MatPat and eleven other YouTubers met withPope Francis for an hour. MatPat asked the Pope to encourage others to "fight for what's right" and gifted him a copy ofUndertale (2015), saying that its recurrent theme of mercy fits the Pope's proclamation that 2016 would be the "year of mercy for theCatholic church".[21][22]
In 2019,The Game Theorists held a 9-hour charity livestream that generated $1.3 million forSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[23] The stream included guestsMarkiplier,TheOdd1sOut,Rosanna Pansino,Scott Cawthon, and others.[23] Two other charity streams were held for St. Jude in 2020 and 2021, respectively.[24][25]
The thirdTheory channel, and fourth overall,The Food Theorists, began releasing videos in July 2020. The Food Theorists, using the same style as its predecessors, blendsfood science with psychology, physiology, and conspiracy.[26] The channel was being developed for two years before its launch.[27] As of October 2022, The Food Theorists had 4 million subscribers and over 499 million views. It had reached 1 million subscribers exactly a week after launch and had then gained another million over the succeeding 4 months.[28]
On December 20, 2022, a fourthTheory channel, and fifth overall, was announced on theGame Theory channel,[29] along with the purchase of their company Theorist Media bystartup Lunar X.[30] On February 18, 2023,The Style Theorists was launched. Like the other channels, it focuses on the science, math, history, psychology, and mystery of fashion. It reached a million subscribers three days later.
MatPat also made cameo appearances in multiple installments ofYouTube Rewind.
On August 27, 2023, MatPat hosted theStreamy Awards,[31][32] which scored 15 million views across digital platforms in its first 48 hours, beating the 2021 record of 9.7 million views as the most-watched show in its 13-year history.[33]
On January 9, 2024, MatPat announced in a video titled "Goodbye Internet" that he would step down from hosting the channels on March 9,[1] and would be replaced by a different member of the Theorist team for each channel, while still retaining a creative role and making occasional appearances on the channels, along with GTLive, until mid-2024.[34] While he joked that his decision was inspired byTom Scott, who had recently ended his decade-long run of posting weekly videos, MatPat said that he and his wife had been working towards the change for years.[35] They also chose a ten-week timeframe when announcing his retirement.[36] He additionally revealed that following the departure, he would continue to pursue creative projects.[34] One such project includes alo-fi mystery series entitledLoreFi;[37] its channel was launched in summer 2024.[37]
MatPat was involved in theweb seriesTerrain of Magical Expertise. He gained the series more attention and exposure by uploading a remastered version of the first episode on the channel on October 1, 2013, and then providing a platform for the series.[38][39] MatPat, alongside Cordato, Sundman, Hourigan, and Edwards, also contributed their likeness and voices for self-parodied opponents in the video game adaptation.[citation needed] The game was released onSteam on September 9, 2021.
In 2017, MatPat and his wife Stephanie participated inNintendo'sPokkén Tournament DX Invitational, an event held duringE3 2017. He was paired with Allister Singh, the only pro-Pokkén Tournament player in the event. His team eventually won the tournament.[40] MatPat voiced Computron in the animated seriesTransformers: Titans Return (2017).[41]
In 2016, MatPat hosted thego90 reality seriesThe Runner.[42] In 2019, MatPat partnered withNickelodeon to make the showFact or Nicktion.[43] In this show, MatPat examined various phenomena in Nickelodeon shows, such asSpongeBob SquarePants,Avatar: The Last Airbender, andRugrats to determine whether they could or couldn't happen in real life.
MatPat is a co-producer of theBroadway playGrey House.[44]
MatPat's videos about the video game seriesFive Nights at Freddy's have made him prominent within the series'fandom, which is known for its dedication to theorizing about the underlying narrative of the series.[45] He made a cameo appearance in its2023 film adaptation as a waiter.[46] In 2024, he collaborated with the series for aYoutooz figure and pins.[47] In total, he made 68 theory videos on the series.[48]
In May 2024, MatPat appeared on an episode ofWired's "Web's Most Searched Questions" series.[49]
MatPat is married to Stephanie "Steph" (née Cordato), whom he met while studying atDuke University. The two became close after creating aLegend of Zelda parody called "The Epic of Stew". They married on May 19, 2012.[50] Their son, Oliver Julian Patrick, was born in 2018,[51] and the family currently divides their time between living inCalifornia andNorth Carolina.[52]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Streamy Awards | Gaming | The Game Theorists | Nominated | [53] |
| Editing | Nominated | ||||
| 2016 | Shorty Awards | Tech and Innovation: Gaming | Nominated | [54] | |
| Streamy Awards | Show of the Year | Nominated | [55] | ||
| Gaming | Won | ||||
| Non-Fiction | MatPat's Game Lab | Nominated | |||
| Virtual Reality and 360 | Won | ||||
| 2017 | Shorty Awards | Tech and Innovation: Gaming | Himself | Nominated | |
| Streamy Awards | Editing | The Game Theorists | Won | ||
| Immersive | The Global Gamer | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Subject: Pop Culture | Game Theory | Nominated | ||
| Editing | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Gaming | The Game Theorists | Won | ||
| 2021 | Writing | Won |
| Channel name | Main host | Topic | Release date | Subscribers | Number of videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Game Theorists | MatPat (2011–2024) Tom Robinson (2024–) | Solving the mysteries of games | August 22, 2009 | 19.4 million | 739 |
| The Film Theorists | MatPat (2014–2024) Forrest Lee (2024–) | Learning the secrets of films | May 12, 2014 | 13.2 million | 540 |
| The Food Theorists | MatPat (2020–2024) Santiago "Santi" Massa (2024–) | Explaining theories about food | May 29, 2020 | 5.5 million | 267 |
| The Style Theorists | MatPat (2023–2024) Amy Roberts (2024–) | Exploring the science around fashion | February 18, 2023 | 2.78 million | 166 |
| GTLive | MatPat (2015–2024) Ash (2024–) | Playing and analyzing video games | August 26, 2015 | 3.71 million | 1,453 |
| LoreFi | N/A | Alo-fi channel with anARG narrative | July 13, 2024 | 98.5 thousand | 4 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2024 | The Game Theorists | Himself | 533 episodes |
| 2015 | How to Beat a Monkey at Chess | Music video by Random Encounters[56] | |
| Mangled | Music video by NateWantsToBattle[57] | ||
| LORE in a Minute! | Episode: "LORE:Dragon Ball Z Lore in a Minute!" | ||
| 2015-2020 | The Completionist | 3 episodes[58][59][60] | |
| 2015-2024 | The Film Theorists | 425 episodes | |
| 2016 | FNAF the Musical | Phone Guy/William Afton | Music video by Random Encounters[61] |
| MatPat's Game Lab | Himself | YouTube Original; main role | |
| CaptainSparklez | Episode: "HELIUM RAP BATTLE VS MATPAT"[62] | ||
| Scare PewDiePie | YouTube Original; 2 episodes | ||
| 2017 | Death Battle | Keith | Voice role; "Power Rangers (Megazord) VSVoltron"[63] |
| NERDY NUMMIES | Himself | Episode: "NINTENDO SWITCH COOKIES ft. MatPat!"[64] | |
| GUMMY FOOD vs REAL FOOD! | 2 episodes[65][66] | ||
| Transformers: Titans Return | Computron | Voice role[67] | |
| Bendy and the Ink Musical | Bendy | Voice role; Music video by Random Encounters[68] | |
| Sonic ForcesAcademy | Himself | [69] | |
| 2018 | Cuphead the Musical | Dr. Kahl, Wally Warbles, Willy Warbles | Voice role; Music video by Random Encounters[70] |
| Food Court | Himself | YouTube Original; Episode: "Food Court ft. MatPat"[71] | |
| Transformers: Power of the Primes | Swoop | Voice role[72] | |
| The FNaF Show | Himself | Episode: Season 2 – Episode 4 ft. MatPat[73] | |
| 2018-2019 | Escape the Night | The detective | 14 episodes[74] |
| 2019 | A Heist with Markiplier | Hermit | [75] |
| FNAF the Musical: Web of Lies | Phone Guy/William Afton | Music video by Random Encounters[76] | |
| 2019-2023 | Pitch Meeting | Himself | 2 episodes[77][78] |
| 2020 | What's Your Favorite Scary Movie? | Episode: "MatPat onTHE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT!"[79] | |
| 2020-2024 | The Food Theorists | 188 episodes | |
| 2021 | Instant Influencer with ZHC | YouTube Original; Episode: "Best Giant Art Wins $100,000" | |
| Bendy and the Wolf | Bendy | Voice role; Music video by Random Encounters[80] | |
| Hero Mode | Himself | ||
| Disco Giraffe and Biker Jellyfish | 1 episode[81] | ||
| Big Change | Himself | Episode: "MatPat's Secret To Working From Home" | |
| Dad | 3 episodes[82][83] | ||
| 2021-2022 | FootofaFerret | Voice role; 2 episodes[84][85] | |
| 2022 | Markiplier | Episode: "PowerWash Pals: MatPat from Game Theory"[86] | |
| In Space with Markiplier | Theory crew(in Part 1) | [87] | |
| Mack(in Part 2) | [88] | ||
| 2023 | Five Nights at Freddy's | Ness | Credited as Sparky's Diner waiter; reference to episode ofGame Theory: "Undertale –Sans's SECRET Identity!"[89][90] |
| 2023-2024 | The Style Theorists | Himself | 46 episodes |
| 2024 | Kill Count | Episode: "Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) KILL COUNT"[91] | |
| WIRED Autocomplete Interview | Episode: "MatPat Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED"[92] | ||
| Last Meal | Episode: "MatPat Eats His Last Meal"[93] | ||
| We Surprised MatPat With His Own Movie | [94] | ||
| FNAF the Musical: Dark Remains | Phone Guy/William Afton | Music video by Random Encounters | |
| FNAF the Musical: Shadows of Agony | |||
| MrBeast | Himself | Episode: "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000"[95] | |
| FNAF UNSOLVED | Episode: "MIDNIGHT MOTORIST"[96] | ||
| The Entire FNAF Timeline | Fredbear's Family Diner announcer | Voice role[97] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Terrain of Magical Expertise | Mattheorist |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Exotic Butters (Margarine Remix)" | [98] |
| 2020 | "Who You Gonna Call?" | [99][100] |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Captain Planet Theme Song Cover" (The Warp Zone) | [101] |
| 2015 | "How to Beat a Monkey at Chess" (Random Encounters featuringMarkiplier andThe Completionist) | [102] |
| 2015 | "Pokémon Johto" (NateWantsToBattle) | [103][104] |
| 2016 | "Game of Thrones" (Peter Hollens) | [105] |
| 2017 | "A Series of Unfortunate Events Acapella" (The Warp Zone) | [106] |
| 2017 | "Bendy and the Ink Musical" (Random Encounters) | [107] |
| 2018 | "Cuphead the Musical" (Random Encounters featuring various) | [108] |
| 2018 | "Pokémon Masters Are Broke" | [109] |
| 2021 | "Bendy and the Wolf" (Random Encounters) | [110] |
| 2022 | "Obliterate" (Dad featuringCorey Graves) | [111] |
| 2022 | "MUUUSIC MAN! (MatPat Remix)" (Dufixklusiv) | Archival recording[112] |
| 2023 | "A Little Theorizing" (The Stupendium) | Archival recording[113] |
| 2024 | "FNAF: Dark Remains" (Random Encounters) | [114] |
| 2024 | "FREDDY" (CG5 featuring Black Gryph0n) | [115][116] |
| 2024 | "FNAF KIDS" (The Chalkeaters featuring Black Gryph0n, DHeusta, The Stupendium, and OR3O) | [117] |
I haven't been able to get Google Adsense to work on my YouTube channel for well over a year. The "experiment" was MatPat would be uploading TOME episodes and shorts to their channel as a new show (since they have 3 shows on the GT channel) and giving me a cut of the revenue each month. However, the show didn't perform as well as we were hoping within the first two episodes, so it was ultimately decided to pull it from their channel.
MatPat and the Game Theorist crew reached out to me, as fans of the show, and wanted to give it more exposure. So, they've graciously invited me to be part of their channel and help TOME reach a bigger audience than before.
Media related toMatPat at Wikimedia Commons
