History of MatPat in Timeline
Matthew "MatPat" Patrick is a semi-retired American YouTuber known for creating and hosting the popular "Theorists" series on YouTube. These series include Game Theorists, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and Style Theorists, each focusing on analyzing and exploring theories related to their respective topics: video games, films/TV, food, and fashion. Each series has a dedicated YouTube channel. While MatPat narrated most videos initially, he retired on March 9, 2024.
November 15, 1986: MatPat is Born
Matthew Robert Patrick, better known as MatPat, was born on November 15, 1986.
1995: Chrono Trigger Inspires First "Game Theory" Episode
MatPat's first "Game Theory" episode, released in 2011, focused on the quantum mechanics of the 1995 video game Chrono Trigger.
2009: MatPat Graduates from Duke University
MatPat graduated from Duke University in 2009 with a double major in theater and psychology and a concentration in neuroscience.
April 18, 2011: "Game Theory" Premieres
The first episode of MatPat's flagship YouTube series, "Game Theory," was uploaded on April 18, 2011.
May 19, 2012: Marriage to Stephanie Cordato
On May 19, 2012, MatPat married Stephanie Cordato, whom he met while at Duke University, and with whom he collaborated on a Legend of Zelda parody.
2012: New Segments Added to "Game Theory"
In 2012, MatPat expanded "Game Theory" by introducing new segments hosted by fellow YouTubers.
October 1, 2013: MatPat Promotes "Terrain of Magical Expertise"
MatPat helped promote the web series "Terrain of Magical Expertise" by uploading a remastered version of its first episode on October 1, 2013.
2014: "Film Theory" Launches
MatPat launched the spin-off channel "Film Theory," dedicated to analyzing movies and television, in 2014.
August 26, 2015: GTLive Begins
MatPat launched his Let's Play series, GTLive, on August 26, 2015, featuring gameplay and reactions alongside his wife Stephanie.
2015: MatPat Gifts Undertale to the Pope
In 2016, MatPat gave Pope Francis a copy of Undertale, released in 2015, highlighting its themes of mercy.
2015: The Walking Dead: Road to Survival Appearance
In 2015, a character based on MatPat was included in the mobile game The Walking Dead: Road to Survival.
May 29, 2016: MatPat Meets the Pope
MatPat, along with eleven other YouTubers, met with Pope Francis on May 29, 2016. During the meeting, MatPat gifted the Pope a copy of the video game Undertale (2015).
June 8, 2016: "MatPat's Game Lab" Premieres on YouTube Premium
On June 8, 2016, "MatPat's Game Lab," a YouTube Premium series featuring real-life scenarios inspired by video games, premiered.
October 3, 2016: GTLive Joins YouTube Gaming Primetime
On October 3, 2016, GTLive's Monday streams became part of YouTube Gaming Primetime, airing from 3 pm to 5 pm PST.
2016: Host of "The Runner"
MatPat hosted the go90 reality series The Runner in 2016.
2017: Pokkén Tournament DX Invitational Victory and Voice Acting Debut
In 2017, MatPat participated in and won Nintendo's Pokkén Tournament DX Invitational at E3 2017. He also voiced Computron in the animated series Transformers: Titans Return in 2017.
2018: Birth of Son, Oliver
MatPat and Stephanie's son, Oliver, was born in 2018.
2018: MatPat Appears in "Escape the Night"
MatPat appeared in the third season of Joey Graceffa's YouTube Premium series "Escape the Night" in 2018.
2019: MatPat Cameos in "A Heist with Markiplier"
MatPat made a cameo appearance in Markiplier's YouTube Original film "A Heist with Markiplier" in 2019.
2019: The Game Theorists Raises $1.3 Million for Charity
In 2019, The Game Theorists hosted a 9-hour charity livestream, raising $1.3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
2019: Launch of "Fact or Nicktion"
In 2019, MatPat partnered with Nickelodeon to create and host the show Fact or Nicktion, exploring the plausibility of scenarios from popular Nickelodeon shows.
July 2020: "The Food Theorists" Premieres
"The Food Theorists," MatPat's third Theory channel, debuted in July 2020, exploring the science, psychology, and conspiracies surrounding food.
2020: The Game Theorists Holds Second Charity Stream
Following the success of their 2019 event, The Game Theorists organized another charity stream for St. Jude in 2020.
September 9, 2021: "Terrain of Magical Expertise" Game Released
The video game adaptation of "Terrain of Magical Expertise," featuring contributions from MatPat and others, was released on Steam on September 9, 2021.
2021: Streamy Awards Garner 9.7 Million Views
The 2021 Streamy Awards, prior to MatPat's hosting in 2023, garnered 9.7 million views, setting a viewership record at the time.
2021: The Game Theorists Hosts Third Charity Stream
The Game Theorists held their third annual charity stream for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2021.
March 2022: GTLive Reaches Milestones
By March 2022, GTLive had amassed 2.94 million subscribers and over 649 million views.
October 2022: "The Food Theorists" Surpasses 4 Million Subscribers
By October 2022, "The Food Theorists" had garnered over 4 million subscribers and over 499 million views.
December 20, 2022: "The Style Theorists" Announced
A fourth Theory channel, "The Style Theorists," and the acquisition of Theorist Media by Lunar X were revealed on December 20, 2022.
2022: MatPat Cameos in "In Space with Markiplier"
MatPat had a cameo role in "In Space with Markiplier," another YouTube Original film by Markiplier, in 2022.
February 18, 2023: "The Style Theorists" Launches
"The Style Theorists," dedicated to the science, history, and psychology of fashion, was launched on February 18, 2023.
August 27, 2023: MatPat Hosts the Streamy Awards
MatPat hosted the Streamy Awards on August 27, 2023, with the event garnering a record-breaking 15 million views across digital platforms in its first 48 hours.
2023: MatPat Hosts the Streamy Awards
In 2023, MatPat hosted the Streamy Awards.
2023: Five Nights at Freddy's Film Cameo
MatPat made a cameo appearance as a waiter in the 2023 film adaptation of the video game Five Nights at Freddy's, after creating numerous theory videos on the series.
January 9, 2024: MatPat Announces Departure From Hosting
On January 9, 2024, MatPat announced his decision to step down as the host of his YouTube channels, effective March 9, 2024.
March 9, 2024: MatPat Retires From Hosting
On March 9, 2024, MatPat stepped down from his role as the primary host of the Game Theorists, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and Style Theorists channels.
May 2024: MatPat Surpasses 40 Million Subscribers
By May 2024, MatPat had amassed over 40 million subscribers and over 9 billion views across his five YouTube channels.
May 2024: Appearance on Wired's "Web's Most Searched Questions"
In May 2024, MatPat was featured on an episode of Wired's "Web's Most Searched Questions".