Lawrence Sonntag is an American entertainer known for his wide-ranging work in gaming entertainment and online video content. He is most recognized for his roles with prominent new media companies Rooster Teeth and Machinima.
Sonntag got his start working for Machinima in 2011, producing gaming-related videos and animations for their Inside Gaming channel. This built his reputation in the internet gaming community.
More recently, Sonntag has focused on producing video game content for his own YouTube channel. He continues to cultivate his brand across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms.
Lawrence Sonntag’s Early Years in Texas and California
Lawrence Sonntag was born on January 7, 1984, in Dallas, Texas, and grew up primarily in the Dallas area. His family later relocated briefly to Cincinnati, Ohio before settling down in Los Angeles, California.
Sonntag attended high school at Azle High School in Azle, Texas, graduating in 2001. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Dallas between 2002-2006.
Lawrence Sonntag’s Personal Life and Past Marriage
Sonntag was previously married to Katy Sonntag, who filed for divorce in 2014, ending their marriage. The circumstances of how and when they met and married are not publicly known.
Relationship with Stephanie Bayer
After his divorce, Sonntag began a new relationship with Stephanie Bayer around 2015. He occasionally posts about their relationship on Instagram.
Bayer works as a manager at the video game company Blizzard, focused on community development. She has been involved with franchises like Diablo, The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Witcher: Monster Slayer.
Bayer shares Sonntag’s interest in gaming and they have been dating for several years now. In November 2019, Sonntag posted a photo of Bayer on Instagram. She also highlights her photos with Sonntag in an Instagram series titled “My Love.”
Lawrence Sonntag’s Career at Rooster Teeth
After graduating college in 2006, Sonntag began doing freelance work which led to a position at Machinima, Inc. Founded in 2000, Machinima was an online entertainment network focused on machinima animations utilizing video game technology. The company later expanded into more general gaming entertainment and fandom content.
When Machinima’s “Inside Gaming” group was acquired by Rooster Teeth Productions, Sonntag became part of Rooster Teeth’s new Funhaus division based in Los Angeles. He was joined by other former “Inside Gaming” personalities and new hires like Elyse Willems and Alanah Pearce.
At Funhaus, Sonntag hosted shows like “Dude Soup,” “Google Trends,” and “Open Haus” which focused on gaming news, sketches, and gameplay.
In addition to Funhaus, Sonntag live streamed on Twitch and YouTube, playing various games like “Doom,” “Mortal Kombat 11,” and “Risk of Rain 2.”
He also contributed gaming segments to other Rooster Teeth programs like The Know.
In December 2019, Lawrence Sonntag and his Funhaus colleague Bruce Greene both announced they were leaving Rooster Teeth.
The company did not provide an official statement on their departure. However, in an interview on the Hang Time podcast, Sonntag cited issues with company culture and direction as reasons for leaving.
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On the Hang Time podcast interview after his exit, Sonntag also discussed some controversial topics related to his time at and departure from Rooster Teeth.
Sonntag has an active presence on several major social media platforms. On YouTube, Sonntag has over 111,000 subscribers to his channel where he posts curated videos.
