Linkin Park fans freak out after countdown ends: “What does this mean?!”

Fans of a popular 2000s rock band went crazy after the countdown to a big announcement ended with a mysterious message.

Linkin Park started a 100-hour timer on its official website and social media accounts on Saturday, sparking speculation about a new tour with a new lead singer. The countdown ended on Wednesday afternoon, appeared to go on strike, and then the clock started counting up again.

“It’s only a matter of time…” read Linkin Park’s official social media accounts as the countdown began to count down.

Fans reacted with a mixture of frustration, confusion and jokes.

“What does this mean?!” wrote one fan on X, sharing a clip of the clock starting to count down.

“MAN WHAT’S GOING ON,” wrote one Instagram user.

“Every time you guess the new singer of Linkin Park incorrectly, another 100 hours are added to the timer,” it said in a tweet.

“In the end, Linkin Park’s countdown didn’t matter at all,” wrote another X-user.

“I can’t believe I got trolled by one of my favorite bands,” said one Instagram comment.

“Shinoda, count your days,” wrote another.

As of Thursday morning, there had been no official announcements from Linkin Park. Initial speculation suggested that the band would do a reunion tour with a new singer to replace original frontman Chester Bennington, who died in 2017.

Some theories suggested that Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley would join LP after the pop-punk band Fat Lip’s farewell tour. Whibley said he made his own announcement the same day Linkin Park’s countdown ended, but later clarified that he would not be joining Linkin Park, Oasis, “or any other band.”

According to Arizona radio station 98 KUPD, Whibley’s announcement turned out to be an offer of a free signed book cover for any fans who pre-order his upcoming memoir, Walking Disaster, and present the receipt at Sum 41’s merch table when their farewell tour resumes next week.

“Oh, how difficult it is these days to plan an announcement without getting in the way of several other rock artists making announcements at the same time and messing everything up,” joked Whibley.

Billboard reported earlier this year that Linkin Park members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Dave Farrell are considering reuniting with a female singer for concerts in 2025. The group was one of the biggest acts of the 2000s with their mix of hip-hop, alternative rock and nu metal.

Orgy frontman Jay Gordon, who collaborated with Linkin Park on a remix of “Points of Authority” for the 2002 album “Reanimation,” caused a stir in March when he told California radio station KCAL 96.7 that he had heard a Linkin Park reunion tour would feature a “female singer.” He later claimed he knew “nothing about” a new “female singer for Linkin Park.”

Possible names have included Evanescence singer Amy Lee, a favorite from the same era as Linkin Park. She told iHeartRadio Canada in April that she had not been contacted about the possible collaboration, but called it a “great” idea.

“You should ask me that. I don’t have much free time, but maybe I’ll do it part-time,” she said.

Linkin Park, known for hits such as “In the End,” “Numb,” “What I’ve Done,” “One Step Closer” and the Grammy-winning “Crawling,” fueled reunion rumors earlier this year when they released a new greatest hits release that included the previously unreleased song “Friendly Fire.” Shinoda, who is also known as a solo artist and with Fort Minor, said any news would be posted on the band’s website.

“Rumors are always flying around. People are always asking what’s next for the band, and the best answer I can give anyone is: If there’s something to say, we’ll tell you. If there’s an announcement, it’ll be on LinkinPark.com,” he told Revolver magazine in April. “If you hear it from someone else, you can trust that information as much as you want.”