By Alicia Colegrove
Hundreds of students packed into STAMP’s Grand Ballroom Friday evening and waited eagerly to see a childhood icon for many, YouTuber and former host of The Game Theorists, Matthew Patrick, widely known as MatPat.
Fans roared as MatPat energetically took the stage, kicking off his Feb. 6 Q&A and meet and greet with excitement. Though recently retired, the internet personality amassed over 11 billion views across five main channels since his start on YouTube in 2011.
The Q&A was hosted by Student Entertainment Events as a part of Terpcon’s All Niter Lecture. Event tickets were free and completely sold out, not even 30 minutes after going live, according to the event’s host. Additionally, students could join a raffle for meet-and-greet tickets, which were also in high demand.
“I was really lucky to get a ticket,” said senior family health major Tabitha Tibbs. “I was on the computer, I had my phone, iPad [and] computer, and I was like, ‘Yes! I got a lecture ticket.’ I also got a meet and greet ticket, so I’m able to see him. I’m very excited.”
Patrick touched on a variety of topics over the hour-long lecture. During the guided Q&A, he talked about his theater roots and how his love of video games stemmed from his father.
He said that his first and most popular channel, The Game Theorists, started as a side project while he worked a full-time job. He outlined his channel’s long road to success, noting how he only monetized his channel when it reached 1.5 million subscribers.
Laughter and cheers erupted across the audience when the Q&A host brought up the game Patrick is most famous for covering: Five Nights at Freddy’s. MatPat published 69 videos on the series throughout his time as The Game Theorists’ host.
Many of the attendees, such as senior computer science major Adrian Galsim, felt nostalgic listening to Patrick talk about his hit series. Galsim said lining up to see the show felt like reliving his childhood.
“I watched MatPat a lot, especially his Five Nights at Freddy’s theories,” Galsim said.
But MatPat’s career didn’t stop with his coverage of the iconic horror game, nor when he retired from content creation in early 2024.
Patrick has gone on to become an advocate for issues in the digital space, like business education for fellow online creators. He’s taken his passion all the way to Capitol Hill, where he lobbied to launch the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus, a group focused on educating Congress about the digital creator economy.
During the Q&A, one fan playfully asked if MatPat would ever run for president. He answered ambiguously, hinting that it wasn’t off the table.
“Let’s go, MatPat for president!” freshman chemistry major Roxana Contrera said after the event.
The Q&A ended with a lightning round of audience questions, from MatPat’s potential campaign to his favorite movies.
Freshman environmental science policy major Lashell Lindsay appreciated Patrick’s audience engagement and mannerisms throughout the lecture.
“He’s really like a nerd,” Lindsay said. “But like, everyone who watched him is a nerd. It was a nice, safe space.”
Lindsay, like many attendees, has followed Patrick’s YouTube journey for years. She highlighted the difference between watching someone on a screen and seeing them in person, and said seeing MatPat was an inspiration.
“It was amazing,” Lindsay said. “And I’m glad that SEE had this.”
The Q&A ended with cheers and applause as MatPat waved goodbye to UMD and fans, as they excitedly chanted his name.
Featured Image: YouTuber MatPat and SEE host at the SEE All Niter Lecture on Feb. 6, 2026. Photo by Alicia Colegrove.