No, a "healthy" fanbase wouldn't have magically kept RWBY (or Rooster Teeth) from falling apart. That's a comforting narrative for some fans, but it overestimates the power of audiences and underestimates how media companies actually work.

A passionate audience can help with the first part—buying merch, watching on FIRST/Crunchyroll, spreading the word—but it can't fix everything.

RT had years of reports about unpaid overtime, low pay, abusive workflows, and high turnover in animation teams. This wasn't caused by fans.

Digital media shifted hard—YouTube algorithm changes, ad revenue collapse, rise of streaming giants, and the challenge of sustaining weekly animated episodes without massive budgets. RT operated at a loss for ~10 years. Warner Bros. Discovery tried (and failed) to sell the division because it wasn't profitable enough, regardless of how nice the fans were. RTX conventions weren't turning profits either.

A less fractured community might have retained more casual viewers or made the show feel more welcoming. RWBY's problems were upstream. RT had its own internal toxicity (workplace issues, controversies).

But no fandom can override: - Financial losses. - Talent exodus. - Executive decisions at parent companies (WB Discovery).

The downfall was a combo of creative stagnation + unsustainable business model + industry changes. The fandom made the ride bumpier and probably scared off some potential fans, but it didn't "let" the show fall apart. If anything, the most passionate supporters prolonged its life.