History YMMV / GameTheory

* CriticalBacklash: With many Youtubers getting into massive scandals left and right for legitimately serious reasons, there has been some pushback against the sheer hatred [=MatPat=] gets on some parts of the Internet for just making corny videos with speculative theories. This was probably why the announcement of his retirement in 2024 was met with respect across the Internet, even from his former critics.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdEuJ1hAVhQ remix]] might be 'even ''better''.'

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdEuJ1hAVhQ remix]] might be 'even ''better'''.

* In his episode entitled "Fortnite's SECRET Plan to Control Disney!", [=MatPat=] details how Creator/EpicGames became as powerful as it is through licensing the Unreal Engine to anyone who wishes to use it, including Creator/{{Disney}}. On February 7th, 2023, Disney announced that they invested 1.5 billion dollars to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games, meaning that Disney now controls VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}.

** The ''VideoGame/{{Polybius}}'' video from 2012 has a graphic of WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd getting bombarded by lights and messages from a ''Polybius'' cabinet. For Halloween 2017, the AVGN decided to make a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4hktqhBpzY special 150th episode]]...

** "But hey, that's just a theory, a ''GAME THEORY''!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]If someone makes a theory about something (either jokingly or seriously), you can expect to hear the show's iconic send-off phrase tacked on right after, usually swapping out 'Game' for the subject matter. Usually meant as parody or [[TakeThat a jab at the series]], [[OverlyLongGag but that's just a theory]], a ''MEME THEORY''![[/labelnote]]

** [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qTKRydIT3do I JUST SIMULTANEOUSLY WHIPPED AND NAE NAE'D!!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]][=MatPat=] excitedly yelling about doing, at the same time, two dances featured in the Silento song "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)".[[/labelnote]]

** [=MatPat=] out of context [[labelnote:Explanation]]In 2023, people started posting clips of [=MatPat=] that are carefully clipped to induce MoodWhiplash. The clips start with Mat discussing a usually real-world subject, and ends as soon as he brings up the subject of the theory again, which in the context of the clip comes out of nowhere and doesn't get explained.[[/labelnote]]

* In his episode entitled "Fortnite's SECRET Plan to Control Disney!", [=MatPat=] details how Creator/EpicGames became as powerful as it is through licensing the Unreal Engine to anyone who wishes to use it, including Creator/{{Disney}}. On February 7th, 2023, Disney announced that they invested a 1.5 billion dollars to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games, meaning that Disney now controls VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}.

** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54KyOW0naRE his first]] VideoGame/PoppyPlaytime theory, he theorized that that the antagonist of the second chapter would be Catbee. While that theory would be debunked (Chapter 2's antagonist was Mommy Long Legs, a previously unmentioned character), the 3rd chapter ''would'' produce a cat antagonist in the form of [=CatNap=].

** His ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' theory brings up how Charlie's task is impossible due to the sheer influx of souls coming into hell as well as [[WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss IMP being direct antagonists to her]]. It turns out to be much, ''much'' simpler yet harsher than that, since [[spoiler:it's ''Heaven'' that's making it difficult for Charlie by not even knowing the requirements to redeem souls in the first place]].

** "Sans is Ness"[[labelnote:Explanation]]It's popular to mock the infamous "Sans's SECRET Identity!" episode following its release, due to its bizarre conclusion taken from what little evidence the show could come up with. Colloquially referred to as the "Sans is Ness" episode, many joke theories about characters somehow secretly being other characters from completely different franchises have come forth since.[[/labelnote]]
*** Sens [[labelnote:Explanation]]A name used to refer to Sans and Ness as a CompositeCharacter after the episode.[[/labelnote]]
*** Music/SiIvaGunner and its community referenced it quite a bit, with "X is Y" being a meme in the comments of ''Undertale'' and ''[=EarthBound=]'' rips. To the point where Sens appeared as an actual character.

*** And finally, the meme was [[https://twitter.com/tobyfox/status/1745048357846859798 officially acknowledged]] by Creator/TobyFox himself in 2024, even getting art.

** Mat and Stephanie's Let'sPlay video of the Little Nightmares 2 demo that was sent to them by Bandai Namco garnered a noticeable amount of controversy. Mat and Stephanie [[ItsHardSoItSucks complained about the demo's difficulty curve]] under the false impression that they were playing from the beginning, though the demo was set over halfway through the game, spent the entire video talking over the game and nitpicking it, missing obvious gameplay cues like Six's gestures or the Patients' gameplay mechanics, struggling with puzzles that most other players overcame in a heartbeat, playing in a brightly lit setting that meant they failed to immerse themselves in the game, revealing they never played the Little Nightmares DLC, which was over half the original game's content, and making their general disinterest for the game very clear. The top comments (and most other comments) are filled with people criticizing the video and pointing out that even the harshest of critics had enjoyed the demo far more than they did. Their CowboyBeBopAtHisComputer attitude throughout the video was ridiculed, and the video to this day, is considered one of the worst of the Game Theory brand, many considering it So Bad, It's Horrible.

** In his "Why I Gave The Pope Undertale" video, he explained that the main reason why he gave Pope Francis ''Undertale'' was that gamers are getting unjustifiably bad press and that ''Undertale'' would show the gaming community in a more positive light. Almost a month later, [[https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2016/july/documents/papa-francesco_20160730_polonia-veglia-giovani.html Pope Francis gave an address on World Youth Day in Krakow]], where at one point he speaks against confusing happiness with comfort, which he likened to a sofa, even saying "A sofa that promises us hours of comfort so we can escape to the world of videogames and spend all kinds of time in front of a computer screen" as an example of this kind of escapism. Instead, he exhorts the youth to take on a more active role in following Jesus, saying that it "demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths". Depending on how Pope Francis's remarks are interpreted, it could be a condemnation of video games altogether, in which case means that he could not disagree more with [=MatPat=] (or HilariousIndHindsight, depending on how seriouslyyou look at it), or it could be a condemnation of ''escapism'' and not video games per se (especially considering that [[https://nypost.com/2000/04/21/pokemon-earns-papal-blessing/ Pope John Paul II blessed the]] ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise.)

** In his "Why I Gave The Pope Undertale" video, he explained that the main reason why he gave Pope Francis ''Undertale'' was that gamers are getting unjustifiably bad press and that ''Undertale'' would show the gaming community in a more positive light. Almost a month later, [[https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2016/july/documents/papa-francesco_20160730_polonia-veglia-giovani.html Pope Francis gave an address on World Youth Day in Krakow]], where at one point he speaks against confusing happiness with comfort, which he likened to a sofa, even saying "A sofa that promises us hours of comfort so we can escape to the world of videogames and spend all kinds of time in front of a computer screen" as an example of this kind of escapism. Instead, he exhorts the youth to take on a more active role in following Jesus, saying that it "demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths". Depending on how Pope Francis's remarks are interpreted, it could be a condemnation of video games altogether, in which case means that he could not disagree more with [=MatPat=], or it could be a condemnation of ''escapism'' and not video games per se (especially considering that [[https://nypost.com/2000/04/21/pokemon-earns-papal-blessing/ Pope John Paul II blessed the]] ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise.)

** In his "Why I Gave The Pope Undertale" video, he explained that the main reason why he gave Pope Francis ''Undertale'' was that gamers are getting unjustifiably bad press and that ''Undertale'' would show the gaming community in a more positive light. Almost a month later, [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-urges-young-people-to-reject-video-games-and-engage-in-activism-instead-a7164376.html the Pope held a speech explaining his views that gaming is preventing the youth from doing activism and is disconnecting them from Jesus]], showing that he couldn't disagree more with [=MatPat=]'s views. This doubles as HilariousInHindsight, depending on how seriously one takes the Pope's or [=MatPat=]'s opinion on this subject.
*** This also crosses into FridgeLogic if you do your research and find out that [[https://nypost.com/2000/04/21/pokemon-earns-papal-blessing/ Pope John Paul II blessed the]] ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise. This causes debates whether or not Pope Francis accursing video games invalidates Pope John Paul's blessing of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' or the other way around.

* MemeticBadass: Despite being widely mocked when it first happened, it's since become common to semi-jokingly lionize [=MatPat=] for giving Pope Francis a copy of ''Undertale'', due the game's LGBT representation and some of the pro-LGBT policies that the Catholic Church has since adopted, with many joking that [=MatPat=] single-handedly pushed the Catholic Church in a pro-LGBT direction. The fact that Megalovania was officially played for the Pope live in 2022, possibly as a reference to this event, only adds more fuel to the fire.

* CriticalBacklash: With many Youtubers getting into massive scandals left and right for legitimately serious reasons, there has been some pushback against the sheer hatred [=MatPat=] gets on some parts of the Internet for just making corny videos with speculative theories.

* FandomRivalry: With WebVideo/{{Gnoggin}}, a similar show on [=YouTube=], to the point where {{flame war}}s have broken out in the comments of videos on both sides. It doesn't help that Gnoggin has made at least three videos specifically to discredit [=MatPat's=] theories, and several people treat Gnoggin as the "Let's talk smack about Game Theory" channel. There's also the allegations that the Game Theory about ''Smash Bros.'' being about [[spoiler: Masahiro Sakurai's disillusionment with the series and the games industry in general]] is directly ripping off Gnoggin's theory about [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeh7D0zz8G0 Super Smash Brothers being about living with autism]]. Another point of contention is [=MatPat=] doing an amiibo theory one week after Gnoggin, with the exact same theory.

** A theory of his on ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' is that the player character has a mental condition that [[FurryLens allows him to see other people as anthropmorphic animals]]. In ''Anime/OddTaxi'', [[spoiler:this turns out to be the case with the protagonist]].

** If someone makes a joke theory, you can expect to hear "But hey, that's just a theory, a ''GAME THEORY''!" at the end, usually swapping out 'Game' for the subject matter. Usually meant as [[TakeThat a jab at thr series]], [[OverlyLongGag but that's just a theory]], a ''MEME THEORY''!
** It was popular to mock the "Sans's SECRET Identity!" episode after its release, due to its bizarre conclusion from so little evidence. It's colloquially referred to as the "Sans is Ness" episode.
*** The name Sens is used to refer to Sans and Ness as a CompositeCharacter after the episode.

** After [=MatPat=] infamously gave '''UsefulNotes/ThePope''' a copy of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', the internet was awash in people parodying the event.

** Whenever a new piece of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' lore is revealed, expect comments about [=MatPat=]'s inevitable frustration/rage to follow.
** Mental Illness![[note]]A [[https://i.redd.it/a3juu7nrik651.jpg cropped thumbnail]] from [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XKQMBUy4xA4/maxresdefault.jpg a charity livestream]] featuring a strangely-smiling [=MatPat=] and several other Youtubers, including WebVideo/IISuperwomanII and the WebAnimation/TheOdd1sOut. It's occasionally used to mock [=MatPat=], but is more commonly used online as a reaction image whenever a major Internet celebrity or subculture does something perceived as stupid or narcissistic.[[/note]]
** [[IKnewIt Music Man!]][[note]][=MatPat=] predicted the likelihood of Music Man returning when he saw a multi-legged animatronic teased in the third episode of Freddy & Friends: On Tour! His left field prediction was proven correct when he saw a giant Music Man in the final trailer for the game, shouting his name in excitement. [=MatPat=] would later react to a well-made VoiceClipSong of this meme.[[/note]]
** LOOOOOOOOOORE! [[note]] [=MatPat=]'s very excited reaction to, well, lore. [[/note]]
** [=MatPat=] out of context [[note]]In 2023, people started posting clips of [=MatPat=] that are carefully clipped to induce MoodWhiplash. The clips start with Mat discussing a usually real-world subject, and ends as soon as he brings up the subject of the theory again, which in the context of the clip comes out of nowhere and doesn't get explained.[[/note]]

** Mat and Stephanie's Let'sPlay video of the Little Nightmares 2 demo that was sent to them by Bandai Namco garnered a noticeable amount of controversy. Mat and Stephanie [[It'sTooHard,SoItSucks! complained about the demo's difficulty curve]] under the false impression that they were playing from the beginning, spent the entire video talking over the game and nitpicking it, missing obvious gameplay cues like Six's gestures or the Patients' gameplay mechanics, struggling with puzzles that most other players overcame in a heartbeat, playing in a brightly lit setting that meant they failed to immerse themselves in the game, revealing they never played the Little Nightmares DLC, which was over half the original game's content, and making their general disinterest for the game very clear. The top comments (and other comments) are filled with people criticizing the video and pointing out that even the harshest of critics had enjoyed the demo far more than they did. Their CowboyBeBopAtHisComputer attitude throughout the video was ridiculed, and the video to this day, is considered one of the worst of the Game Theory brand, many considering it SoBadIt'sHorrible.

** In his second [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach Ruin]] theory, he makes a theory that the then unreleased [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysHelpWanted2 Help Wanted 2]] would have Cassie's dad as the protagonist, and he also suggests that maybe they'll reunite in the ending. Come the full game and, if you still believe the protagonist is Cassie's dad, they do reunite in an ending...[[spoiler: where the player gets their consciousness trapped inside the Staff-bot that gave Cassie her mask]].

** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54KyOW0naRE his first]] VideoGame/PoppyPlaytime theory, he theorized that that the antagonist of the second chapter would be Catbee. While that theory would be debunked (Chapter 2's antagonist was Mommy Long Legs, a previously unmentioned character), the 3rd chapter ''would'' produce a cat antagonist in the form of Catnap.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The portrayal of [[VideoGame/{{Kindergarten}} Nugget]] by [=MatPat=]'s wife Stephanie during their playthrough of the game proved to be quite a hit with fans, leading to Nugget appearing in a number of other videos and even the official channel banner.

** The ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate World of Light]]'' theory (that it is a metaphor for an undisclosed creative dispute between Creator/SatoruIwata and Creator/MasahiroSakurai), due to being accused of demonizing the deceased Iwata through flimsy logic.

** [=MatPat=] out of context [[note]]In 2023, people started posting clips of [=MatPat=] that are carefully clipped to induce MoodWhiplash. The clips start with Mat discussing a usually real-world subject, and ends as soon as he brings up the subject of the theory again, which in the context of the clip comes out of nowhere and doesn't get explainrd.[[/note]]

** [=MatPat=] out of context [[note]]In 2023, people started posting clips of [=MatPat=] out of context for their MoodWhiplash fashion.[[/note]]

%%** "LINK IS DEAD!"[[note]]from the infamous ''Majora's Mask'' video usually detested by Zelda fans who stick only to canon information and hate it when Game Theory fans parrot said theory like it's a fact[[/note]] That's the origin but how is it a meme?

** It's become popular for people to reply to posts or comments that have "It's just a theory" with "A ''GAME'' THEORY." A lot of the time, [[TakeThat it's making fun of the series]]. [[OverlyLongGag But hey, that's just a theory, A]] ''[[OverlyLongGag MEME]]'' [[OverlyLongGag THEORY]].
** "LINK IS DEAD!" (from the infamous ''Majora's Mask'' video usually detested by Zelda fans who stick only to canon information and hate it when Game Theory fans parrot said theory like it's a fact).
*** "SANS IS NESS!" is even more popular online but in this case it's mocking his badly-researched ''Undertale'' and ''[=EarthBound=]'' video. It got to the point that even Creator/ScottCawthon got in on the fun for [[Film/FiveNightsAtFreddys2023 the FNAF film]] where [=MatPat=] cameod as a waiter named Ness.
** "Sens," in mocking reference to the Sans is Ness video. It has become a small RunningGag among fans of "high quality video game ripper" Music/SiIvaGunner, particularly with "rips" involving music having to do with Sans or ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994''.

*** On January 5th, 2022, Megalovania was actually played in front of the Pope. This led to jokes about the Pope having actually played the copy [=MatPat=] gave him.

** [=MatPat=] out of context [[note]] In 2023, people started posting clips of [=MatPat=] out of context for their MoodWhiplash fashion.[[/note]]