 Good evening. Back in April I created my first ever ARG coverage video, talking about the channel Gunslinger Pro 2009. It was my first upload to achieve a notable view count, and while I've tried to branch out into the other types of videos I enjoy creating, spooky Gmod content has proven to be a great way of keeping my primary subscriber base satiated. I've been promising and promising that a follow-up video on Gunslinger was on the way for months, setting the holdover as me waiting until there's more content since I don't think a full analysis video would be appropriate for an update consisting of only one upload. I mean, after all, four out of my 36 videos have been ARG related, so it's probably time to stop milking the genre. However, with all the time that's passed, I'm starting to doubt that a new upload from Gunslinger is coming anytime soon. As I said, he's only posted once since my first analysis, and that was half a year ago at this point. This gives me two options. One is to keep holding out for an upload that might not be coming and risk being unable to fulfill my promise, and the other is to give people what they want, even if it's a little lacking. I'm sure you can tell what I've opted to do. But today I'm going to cover this one new video, get everyone on the same page regarding some details I missed in my original analysis, and then close by speculating on what happened to Gunslinger, because I'm actually a little bit worried about the project. Without further ado, here is this sole new upload from the channel titled Gary's Mod Ultimate Sled Tutorial. Have a look. Here we see Gunslinger in the classic Sled Build game mode, a relic of the Gmod 12 era. I remember spending hours on this map when I was younger, so this video hit me right in the nostalgia glands. Gunslinger shows us how to make a speedy sled, explaining that lighter props like signs and cardboard are the key since they go down slopes quicker. We see him put together a sled, deck it out with some Team Fortress 2 memorabilia including a red heavy rag doll, and then slide down the path to the bottom. Once he's crossed the finish line, Gunslinger gets off his sled and begins hearing a voice. He turns to see the heavy, now standing up from the sled and gesturing at him. In what seems to be a fit of anger, Gunslinger grabs the heavy with the Fizz gun and flings him into the air. As the video comes to a close, we hear what sounds like the heavy choking. So let's address the obvious. This heavy is alive, shocker, and it looks like his attempt to make peace with the player didn't end quite how he was hoping. This scene is the most blatant depiction of Gunslinger pro's brutality yet. All speculation that he's unaware of their sentient condition is shattered, as he is shown cruelly attacking someone who is simply trying to socialize with him. One interesting revelation from this video is that the ragdolls can talk, and not just in preset voice lines it seems. The line heavy starts before being attacked is a you are good friend, which is spliced from two separate voice commands. This could imply that the ragdolls have the ability to speak freely, which humanizes them in a way that makes Gunslinger's treatment of them even more cruel. The last thing I have to note about this video is that the heaviest line, engineer is credit to team, along with the screenshot flashed at the beginning, confirm my first video's theory that the player represents himself as the red engineer with the Gunslinger equipped. We now know that if this character pops up again, it is a direct self-portrayal of Gunslinger. Overall, while this video doesn't introduce many new elements to the ARG, it does give us the most upfront display of Gunslinger's sadism, and continues to show off the creator's fine grasp of the era he's imitating. Now, let's talk about some things I missed in my last video. User Combine on Trial Mod was the first commenter I could trace this now well-known trivia back to. At the beginning of the ragdoll walker video, the red soldier appears to be sending an encoded message to the viewer. This implies that the lines are diegetic and not edited in post by Gunslinger, and hints at the now confirmed fact that the ragdolls can speak and communicate. While it holds no bearing to the story itself, I've also seen a lot of speculation that the method used to create this smooth movement from the Spy as Sandwich video involves the Kinect, since Garry's Mod has support for it. I really believe this effect could have been achieved in nearly any animating software, but I suppose it's a possibility. And the last notable thing that's come to light since my video is that at least two of Gunslinger's videos are replicas of actual old era Garry's Mod machinimas. Spy as Sandwich, for one, is a shot-for-shot recreation of the 2009 video, Sandwich as Spy, and plays out identically up until the moment the Spy appears and starts banging on the screen. The other example of this is Sniper as Century, which, though not filmed on the same map, sports the same premise as a video of the same name from Loll Bean's productions. So with all these updates out of the way, I want to get to the real point of this video, which is to ask what happened to Gunslinger Pro 2009? Well, one rumor that's been absolutely inextinguishable since I released my first video on Badwater is that Badwater is Gunslinger and that the creator moved on to it as a new project. But having talked to the creator of Badwater myself, I can tell you firsthand that this is not true. There is no connection between these two ARGs beyond inspiration and they are not directly affiliated in any way. In fact, I can confirm that this line in the Badwater Q&A video was actually meant to direct people away from this theory. But if that's not the case, then what happened? Well, since I never got in contact with Gunslinger's creator, I can only offer my guesswork. Perhaps they didn't want the attention or didn't enjoy the pressure now that so many eyes were judging the project. They did make the sled video after the channel blew up, but that might have been meant as a send-off. There's also the possibility that the ARG is still active behind the scenes planning something huge, but I doubt it. What I find more likely is that the channel's stagnation has something to do with its aforementioned fan-made successor, Badwater Videos 2009. Badwater popped up during the peak of Gunslinger's popularity, then proceeded to put out videos that were no offense, but less subtle and a good degree easier to follow. And they put them out much more frequently as well. I've heard Gunslinger described as a collection of cryptic, unnerving videos while Badwater is more like a structured series with a story arc, and I'm inclined to agree. Badwater's heightened activity during Gunslinger's stagnant period, as well as its recognizable mascots like Melon Man and the Tee the Near, played a big role in helping the channel eclipse Gunslinger's views and subscribers. And I could see how it would be demoralizing to the creator of Gunslinger to see someone create a project more popular than your own off the back of an idea or genre you pioneered. And I sympathize with that, which brings me to the main reason I made this video. This ARG has had a profound effect that I think has gone largely unappreciated. It played a major part in building the source horror community and set the blueprint for hundreds of other inspired projects. Seeing its growth stagnate and its uploads come to a halt has been upsetting to many, including myself. I don't think the creator understands how much of an impact they've had. To get personal for a moment, my video on Gunslinger was what jumpstarted my channel's popularity. It earned my channel monetization and garnered me my initial audience. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities it and the greater source horror sphere have provided me. I've made some great friends and connections and even built my own community off the back of these ARGs. Not to mention how much of a blast I've had covering all the series themselves. Overall, I'd say I'm a lot more emotionally invested in these ARGs, especially Gunslinger, than I think most people are. So here's my plea. If the creator of Gunslinger is watching this video, I implore you to contact me so I can affirm to my viewers that you're alive and well. Or if nothing else, so I can personally thank you for how much your channel has helped me. As for everyone else, thank you for watching. Have a good day.