Why is Outdoor Boys shutting down? Luke Nichols abrupt YouTube departure explained

• Outdoor Boys has posted their last video on YouTube.
• After 11 years on the platform, Luke Nichols shocked fans by announcing his exit from the platform.
• But what exactly did he say in his ‘Goodbye’ video?

Fans of the Outdoor Boys have been left in complete shock after the popular YouTube channel announced it was shutting down. In one final video entitled ‘Goodbye’ star Luke Nichols revealed the devastating news to his viewers.

Launched a decade ago it has exploded in popularity in 2024 in particular and gained 12 million followers in just 18 months. It has more than 15 million subscribers on the platform at the time of writing (May 21).

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But in a surprise video over the weekend, Luke Nichols announced the end of Outdoor Boys. Here’s all you need to know:

Outdoor Boys star has ‘real concerns’ about his family

In the video posted on YouTube on Saturday (May 17), Luke explains to his viewers why they are shutting down Outdoor Boys. It caught many viewers off guard and the four minute clip has been viewed over 13 million times in just four days.

He opens the video, which is filmed outdoors fittingly, by telling fans: “Hey everyone, this is going to be my last video for a little while.” He continues talking about his time on YouTube and describes it as a “wild ride”.

Luke adds: “The amount of time and energy I’ve dedicated to making YouTube videos is hard to communicate.” Before describing it as a “great adventure” and saying it allowed him to “make great memories” with his wife and kids.

He then continued: “Even good things can be taken too far and I think I’m starting to reach that point. But I’m not just talking about the time and energy it takes to make YouTube videos, I’m also talking about the attention it brings.”

Luke goes on to describe how in “just the last 18 months” the channel has gained “about 12 million subscribers”. He says because of his content being “stolen” and shared on other platforms his family have been viewed “about four billion times” in addition to his billions of views on YouTube.

He explains: “The sheer volume of fans trying to contact me, trying to take pictures with me or just trying to come up and take pictures in public can be overwhelming at times. My wife and I both have real concerns about what this will do to our family if I continue to grow my YouTube channel at this pace.”

Nichols adds that the time to stop is before it gets “so out of hand” that they cannot “live normal lives”. He explains his plans for the future including helping his son Tom with his own YouTube channel.

Luke adds that if he finishes the half-filmed projects he currently has on the go - or does any other filming - he will drop the videos in “one big dump” at the end of 2025. So fans might have a big Christmas present waiting for them as the year comes to a close.

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