Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4882292-20160520104350/@comment-25936766-20160520114945

It's pretty much like you said. Chibi was made for multiple reasons. Besides for milking the cow, Vol.3 got too dark at the end, in a way that contrasted heavily with what came before, which sliced the fanbase in half. RWBY Chibi is lighter and more comedic in tone, to appease the fans who did not like the dark tone of Vol.3.

The actual Vol.4 will remain mostly serious and dramatic, but won't be at Vol.3's final episodes's levels of darkness. Otherwise, RT would be risking alienating a segment of the established fanbase, and RT depends on their fanbases.