Is FNF Dead? The Rise and Fall of Friday Night Funkin

Friday Night Funkin’ (FNF) is a rhythm game that was created by ninjamuffin99, PhantomArcade, evilsk8r, and kawaisprite in 2020. The game features a boy named Boyfriend who has to rap battle against various opponents to win the heart of his Girlfriend. The game became a viral sensation on the internet, spawning countless fan-made mods, animations, memes, and songs. However, in recent months, the game’s popularity has declined significantly, leading many fans to wonder: is FNF dead?

The Success of FNF

FNF was originally released on October 5, 2020, as a submission for the Ludum Dare 47 game jam, a competition where developers have to create a game in 72 hours based on a theme. The theme for that jam was “Stuck in a loop”, which inspired the creators to make a game where the player has to repeat the same musical patterns over and over. The game was uploaded to Newgrounds, a website for flash games and animations, where it received positive feedback and high ratings.

The game’s popularity skyrocketed when popular YouTubers and streamers, such as Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and PewDiePie, played the game and showcased it to their millions of followers. The game also attracted a large and dedicated fanbase, who created their own mods, characters, songs, and stories based on the game. Some of the most notable mods include VS Whitty, VS Hex, VS Tricky, VS Bob, and VS Shaggy. The game also inspired many fan-made animations, such as the FNF Animation Series by Xed, the FNF Shorts by GameToons, and the FNF Anime Opening by Zalinki.

The game’s success also led to the launch of a Kickstarter campaign in April 2021, where the creators aimed to raise $60,000 to make a full version of the game, with more weeks, songs, characters, features, and platforms. The campaign was a huge success, raising over $2.2 million from over 40,000 backers, making it one of the most funded video game projects on Kickstarter.

The Decline of FNF

However, despite the game’s massive success, many fans have noticed that the game’s popularity has been fading in recent months. There are several reasons for this decline, such as:

• The lack of updates: The game has not received any major updates from the original developers since May 2021, when Week 7 was released. The developers have stated that they are working on the full version of the game, which will take a long time to complete. However, many fans have grown impatient and frustrated with the slow progress and the lack of communication from the developers. Some fans have even accused the developers of scamming the backers and abandoning the project.
• The competition: FNF is not the only rhythm game on the market. There are many other games that offer similar or better gameplay, graphics, music, and content. Some of these games include Just Shapes & Beats, Geometry Dash, Osu!, Beat Saber, and Crypt of the NecroDancer. These games have also gained popularity and attention from the gaming community, making FNF less unique and appealing.
• The saturation: FNF has been oversaturated with mods, animations, memes, and songs. While some of these fan-made creations are original and creative, many of them are repetitive, low-quality, or inappropriate. Some fans have also complained that the mods have overshadowed the original game and its characters, making the game lose its charm and identity. Some fans have also grown tired of seeing the same content and jokes over and over, making the game less fun and enjoyable.
• The controversy: FNF has also been involved in some controversies and dramas, both within and outside the fanbase. Some of these controversies include:
  • The cancellation of the FNF vs. SMG4 mod, which was a collaboration between the FNF and the SMG4 communities. The mod was cancelled due to the backlash and harassment from some toxic fans, who disliked the mod’s art style, humor, and characters.
  • The drama between the FNF and the Undertale communities, which started when some FNF fans attacked and insulted the Undertale fans for making a mod that featured Sans, a popular character from Undertale. The drama escalated when some Undertale fans retaliated and hacked the FNF website, replacing it with a message that mocked the FNF fans and the game.
  • The allegations of plagiarism and theft against some FNF modders, who were accused of stealing assets, code, music, or ideas from other modders or games without giving credit or permission. Some of these modders include KadeDev, the creator of the Kade Engine, a popular engine for making FNF mods, and BBPanzu, the creator of the FNF vs. Bob mod, one of the most popular FNF mods.
  • The criticism of the FNF community, which has been labeled as toxic, immature, cringy, or annoying by some people, especially those who are not fans of the game. Some of the reasons for this criticism include the spamming of FNF content on various platforms, the harassment of other creators or communities, the obsession with certain characters or ships, and the lack of respect for the original game and its developers.

The Future of FNF

So, is FNF dead? The answer is not so simple. On one hand, the game still has a loyal and passionate fanbase, who continue to support and enjoy the game and its mods. The game also still has potential to grow and improve, especially with the upcoming full version, which promises to deliver more content and features. The game also still has a cultural and artistic impact, as it has inspired many people to express their creativity and passion through music, art, animation, and storytelling.

On the other hand, the game also faces many challenges and threats, such as the lack of updates, the competition, the saturation, and the controversy. The game also has to deal with the high expectations and demands from the fans and the backers, who may be disappointed or dissatisfied with the final product. The game also has to cope with the changing trends and tastes of the gaming community, who may lose interest or move on to other games.

Therefore, the fate of FNF depends on many factors, such as the developers, the fans, the modders, the critics, and the market. The game may either revive and thrive, or fade and die, or somewhere in between. Only time will tell.

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