Five Nights At Freddy’s has been terrifying fans of jumpscares for the better part of a few years now, owing its popularity to the game’s unsettling premise and mysterious mythology. Creator Scott Cawthon not only puts deliberate effort into each entry’s secretive story and gameplay, but also into the ensuing marketing campaigns, which usually entail a string of intriguing teaser images and cryptic messages. A new game in the franchise, tentatively titled Five Nights at Freddy’s 6, has been hinted at by Cawthon over the last few weeks, but a recent statement on Steam reveals that the designer has now decided to abandon the project, citing immense pressure to live up to past games in the series.

“After forcing myself to keep working on it day after day, I realized something–I just don’t want to work on this. With each game’s release, I think the expectations get higher and higher for the next, and rightfully so. Each game SHOULD be better than the last! But that pressure starts to mount, and I fear that I’ve been neglecting other things in my life for the sake of trying to keep up with those mounting expectations.”So, after giving this a lot of thought, I’ve decided that I’m going to stop working on it. I’m not going to reveal anything else about what the game was, and I’ve asked other people involved to never divulge anything either. It’s just not going to be talked about.”

Cawthon clarified that he hasn’t given up on making games completely, rather, he wants to “get back to what made game-making enjoyable in the first place.” In Cawthon’s case, this means coming up with something “fun” he knows most FNaF fans would like, recalling the “Foxy Fighters” mini-game from the spinoff RPG FNaF World.

“In fact, the first game that I’d like to make would be something for you guys,” he said. “Remember Foxy Fighters from Update 2? I loved working on that game. It was a lot of fun, and it took a lot of the pressure off me knowing that it was just for the fans of the games. That’s the kind of project that I’d like to work on again. Maybe I’ll try my hand at a pizzeria tycoon game, who knows. The point is that it would be something for fun, and something for the fans.”

Addressing whether or not he’d consider working on Five Nights 6 again, Cawthon admitted he’s “not sure”, but urged fans not to hold their breath on the matter, saying he’d “rather just say that it’s cancelled”. The developer would finish his post with the hope that fans would understand his need to “step back”, also thanking the public for their support.

“I hope you can respect and understand my decision. I want to spend more time with my family, and get back to what made me enjoy making games in the first place.”

While Cawthon is taking his leave from the Five Night at Freddy’s series, projects from other venues will move forward in his absence , including a new VR title, a second entry in the tie-in book series, and a feature film adaptation on the way from production company Blumhouse. What do you think? Are you let down by Cawthon’s decision to cancel FNaF 6, or do you feel there’s a current oversaturation of the series? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!