What Happened to Rooster Teeth?
Rooster Teeth, a pioneering online entertainment company founded in 2003, experienced significant growth with popular web series like 'Red vs. Blue' and 'RWBY', before facing financial difficulties and controversies. After being acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, the company announced its shutdown in March 2024. However, co-founder Burnie Burns reacquired the brand and some key intellectual properties in February 2025, relaunching it under his new company, Box Canyon Productions, with a focus on its original creative roots.
Quick Answer
Rooster Teeth, the influential online entertainment company, officially shut down its operations and website in May 2024, following an announcement by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery in March 2024 due to unprofitability and shifts in digital media. However, in February 2025, co-founder Burnie Burns acquired the Rooster Teeth brand and several of its original intellectual properties, including 'Red vs. Blue' and 'Camp Camp', through his company Box Canyon Productions. The Rooster Teeth website relaunched in August 2025, signaling a return to independent content creation, though major IPs like 'RWBY' were sold to other entities like Viz Media.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline14 events
Rooster Teeth Founded
Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman founded Rooster Teeth, launching their first series, 'Red vs. Blue'.
Acquired by Fullscreen
Rooster Teeth was acquired by Fullscreen, marking its first major corporate ownership change.
Layoffs and Restructuring
Rooster Teeth laid off 13% of its workforce (approximately 50 employees) and underwent a leadership restructuring, with founders moving into creative roles.
Burnie Burns Resigns
Co-founder Burnie Burns resigned from Rooster Teeth, maintaining a first-look deal and eventually moving to Scotland.
Acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery
Rooster Teeth became a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment following the merger that formed Warner Bros. Discovery.
Toxic Culture Accusations Surface
Former director Kdin Jenzen publicly detailed a culture of harassment, crunch, and underpayment at Rooster Teeth, leading to company apologies and internal reviews.
RTX 2024 Canceled
Rooster Teeth General Manager Jordan Levin announced the cancellation of RTX 2024, citing the convention's unprofitability and ongoing renovations at the Austin Convention Center.
Rooster Teeth Shutdown Announced
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Rooster Teeth would be shutting down due to unprofitability and shifts in digital media, leading to layoffs for approximately 150 employees.
The Roost Podcast Network Sold
The Roost Podcast Network, a division of Rooster Teeth, was sold to the talent management company Night.
Website and Apps Shut Down
Rooster Teeth's 'First' program, website, and apps officially ceased operations, with most employees' last day of employment occurring around May 10.
RWBY Franchise Sold to Viz Media
The popular 'RWBY' franchise, a tentpole animated series, was sold by Warner Bros. Discovery to Viz Media.
Burnie Burns Reacquires Rooster Teeth Brand
Co-founder Burnie Burns, through his company Box Canyon Productions, acquired the Rooster Teeth brand and some of its remaining intellectual property, including 'Red vs. Blue' and 'Camp Camp', from Warner Bros. Discovery.
Rooster Teeth Website Relaunched
The Rooster Teeth website relaunched under Box Canyon Productions, as announced on Burnie Burns' podcast 'Morning Somewhere', signaling the brand's return.
Current Operations Under Box Canyon Productions
As of today, Rooster Teeth continues to operate under Burnie Burns' Box Canyon Productions, focusing on its original content and community, with plans for renewed and new productions.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC, an American entertainment company headquartered in Austin, Texas, was founded on April 1, 2003, by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman. It quickly rose to prominence with its flagship machinima series, 'Red vs. Blue', which premiered in April 2003 and became one of the internet's first breakout hits and a long-running web series. The company diversified its content to include live-action shorts, animated series like 'RWBY' and 'Camp Camp', podcasts such as the 'Rooster Teeth Podcast', and the popular RTX conventions.
Over the years, Rooster Teeth underwent several corporate acquisitions. It was first acquired by Fullscreen in 2014, which then became part of Otter Media, a joint venture of Chernin Group and AT&T. In April 2022, following AT&T's acquisition of TimeWarner, Rooster Teeth became a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment. Despite its creative successes and a large fanbase, the company faced increasing financial challenges, reportedly being unprofitable for a decade. Its revenue dropped by nearly $20 million in 2019, and the number of subscribers to its 'First' service significantly declined.
Compounding its financial woes were several controversies, including accusations of a toxic work environment, underpayment, and harassment from former employees, notably detailed by Kdin Jenzen in October 2022. There were also departures of key personalities, such as Burnie Burns in 2020, and layoffs in 2019 affecting 13% of its workforce. These factors, combined with fundamental shifts in consumer behavior, monetization across platforms, and advertising challenges, led Warner Bros. Discovery to seek a buyer for Rooster Teeth.
After failing to find a buyer, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on March 6, 2024, that Rooster Teeth would be shutting down its operations over the next several months, resulting in layoffs for approximately 150 full-time employees and impacting numerous contractors. The Rooster Teeth website and 'First' program officially ceased operations on May 15, 2024. Following the shutdown, Warner Bros. Discovery sold off various intellectual properties; 'The Roost Podcast Network' was sold to Night in April 2024, and the 'RWBY' franchise was acquired by Viz Media in July 2024.
A significant turning point occurred on February 5, 2025, when co-founder Burnie Burns announced that his independent company, Box Canyon Productions, had acquired the Rooster Teeth brand and some of its remaining intellectual property, including 'Red vs. Blue' and 'Camp Camp', as well as the website and social channels. Burns expressed excitement about bringing Rooster Teeth back to its roots, focusing on innovation, community engagement, and the spirit of creativity that defined its early success. The Rooster Teeth website relaunched in August 2025. As of March 8, 2026, Rooster Teeth is operating under Box Canyon Productions, a smaller and more focused entity, with Burns at the helm, aiming to renew production on classic shows and develop new content, while IPs like 'RWBY' remain under new ownership.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Rooster Teeth made different choices?