Some Fans Think Markiplier Cheated During His 'FNAF 2' Run, but They Aren’t Mad
Fans are shrugging off cheating accusations as they question if what Markiplier did was really considered cheating.
Published Dec. 12 2025, 3:06 p.m. ET
Markiplier’s 2014 playthrough of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 became one of his most iconic gaming moments — a masterclass in chaos, fear, and triumphant shouting. He was known as the King of FNAF for a reason. Over a decade later, fans are revisiting that legendary 10/20 mode win with fresh eyes — and some think he may not have actually pulled it off.
A new theory is spreading online, and it has viewers asking a familiar question in a very different way: Did Markiplier cheat during his FNAF 2 run, or was he just doing what every Twitch and YouTube gaming creator does — making great content?
Did Markiplier cheat during his 'FNAF 2' run or just do what content creators have always done?
The conversation started up again in late 2025, when a YouTuber known as TheBones5 released a highly detailed breakdown of Mark’s original 10/20 mode “win.” The analysis suggests that Mark may have spliced footage from different attempts — and possibly even different difficulty modes — to create a single video that appeared to be a flawless, legitimate 10/20 clear.
At the time, Mark was uploading daily and rushing to finish FNAF 2 before the release of the third installment. In the YouTube video titled 10/20 Mode COMPLETE!!, he appears exhausted, emotional, and relieved — but some viewers now say certain details just don’t add up.
According to TheBones5, several inconsistencies in the video suggest it may not be a single, continuous run. One of the most cited clues is a strand of hair that appears and disappears mid-run — evidence, they say, of multiple sessions stitched together. The final reward screen also shows a third star, which typically only appears after completing 4/20 mode, not 10/20.
Then, there’s the behavior of the animatronics themselves. Viewers pointed out that characters like Balloon Boy and Mangle are unusually quiet throughout the run — statistically unlikely at best, and impossible at worst. One estimate per chatter on Reddit and YouTube suggested the odds of that specific AI behavior happening naturally were around 1 in 3.8 billion.
Even if he did cheat, most fans don’t think it matters.
Despite the mounting evidence, the mood online is far from angry. In fact, most fans seem to find the theory more entertaining than upsetting.
In a pinned comment under his own video, TheBones5 made it clear that he doesn’t think Mark did anything malicious. “I want to make this very clear,” he wrote. “This is not meant to take away from his legacy. Mark is one of my favorite YouTubers ever. He got me into FNAF and inspired me as a creator. I don’t think this run was cheated with malicious intent.”
That’s a sentiment echoed across Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook. Many longtime fans believe Mark did what he needed to do as a creator and don’t see that as a betrayal. “He was under pressure to finish the series before FNAF 3 dropped,” one Redditor wrote. “This was content, not a world record. I’m not mad.”
Others say the theory just makes them nostalgic. “Even if it was faked,” one fan posted, “it was still one of the best gaming videos ever uploaded.” Some even joked that the entire debate could be resolved if Mark quietly uploaded an unedited 10/20 win in complete silence.
Unlike other gaming “cheat” scandals — like speedrun disqualifications or leaderboard fraud — Mark’s case feels different. He didn’t submit the video to a tournament, and he wasn’t chasing clout. He was finishing a playthrough the way many creators do: with edits, energy, and a storyline his audience would love.
So, did Markiplier cheat? Maybe. For most fans, however, it didn’t make a difference or change their opinion of him.