Where would we be without YouTube? In 2019, religiously watching YouTube videos from popular vloggers is just as big a form of entertainment as religiously watching television shows. There are lifestyle vlogs, makeup tutorials, conspiracy documentaries (looking at you, Shane Dawson), and, of course, gaming videos.
Gamers have become increasingly popular in the YouTube realm in the past decade, especially with the introduction of streaming service Twitch in 2011. Some YouTube gamers, such as PewDiePie, are among a list of YouTubers with the most subscribers ever. Here are 10 of the most popular, most-subscribed gamers who joined YouTube this decade.
10 TheWillyrex (16.3m subscribers)
TheWillyrex, created in 2011, is actually Spanish gamer Guillermo Díaz Ibáñez's second YouTube channel. Guillermo created his original channel, Willyrex, in 2009 and has since dedicated it to Fortnite videos. On TheWillyrex, he primarily shares Minecraft, Karmaland, and Golf It playthroughs. In addition, he has shared videos of virtual reality playthroughs and console reviews.
As of December 2019, TheWillyrex has over 5.8 billion total views and 16.3 million subscribers. He makes up to $14,140 a day in ad revenue, according to TrackAnalytics. Guillermo has been sharing daily videos on his channels since 2010.
9 PopularMMOs (16.9m subscribers)
PopularMMOs, real name Patrick Brown, joined YouTube in 2012 to share a variety of Minecraft videos, including Mob Battles and Arena Battles, modded playthroughs, modded showcases, and more. He is based in Jacksonville, Florida and often collaborates with his ex-wife's channel, GamingWithJen.
PopularMMOs currently has over 13 billion total views and 16.9 million subscribers. He is worth about $7 million as of this year. Together, Patrick and Jen have created several popular characters that appear in different series on their channels, including the "Hide & Seek Challenge," "World of Warcraft," and "The Crafting Dead."
8 AuthenticGames (18.1m subscribers)
Brazilian gamer Marco Túlio joined YouTube in 2011 as AuthenticGames (also known an Authentic) when he was just 15 years old. Marco is more of a general gamer and aims to keep his channel friendly for both kids and their parents. His most popular uploads include Minecraft videos, Roblox videos, and vlogs about his daily life.
AuthenticGames currently boasts over 7 billion views and 18.1 million subscribers. He reportedly makes up to $15,000 a day in ad revenue. Back in 2016, Marco penned an autobiography about his channel, titled AuthenticGames: Living an Authentic Life, and he plans to release comics in the future.
7 Ninja (22.3m subscribers)
Tyler Blevins joined YouTube in 2011 under the name "Ninja." He is a professional gamer and most notably plays Fornite Battle Royale. Ninja started his career by competing in Halo 3 with several esports teams, and he quickly rose in fame after winning several tournaments. Much of Ninja's channel is dedicated to Fortnite, but he also plays a variety of other games, including Call of Duty and Halo.
Ninja boasts over 2 billion total views and more than 22.3 million subscribers. In 2018, it was reported that Ninja earned $10 million that year. Earlier this year, he quit his Twitch channel to begin streaming on Mixer, but he had owned the most-subscribed Twitch channel.
6 DanTDM (22.3m subscribers)
Daniel Robert Middleton of Britain created his channel, formerly known as The Diamond Minecraft, in 2012. As one can guess, he primarily shared Minecraft videos at first, but has since covered several games, including Pokemon Sword and Shield, Super Mario Odyssey, Hello Neighbor, Among The Sleep, and more.
DanTDM has one of the highest view counts on YouTube, clocking in at over 15 billion views. He has 22.3 million subscribers as of December 2019. In 2017, Dan was the highest-paid YouTuber in the world, per Business Insider. He has a few Kids' Choice Awards and Guinness World Records under his belt.
5 Markiplier (24.7m subscribers)
Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Edward Fischbach, joined the YouTube gaming realm in 2012. His channel is one of the more diverse, including not only gaming videos but also comedy sketches, animations, parodies, and more. Markiplier often uploads Let's Play videos of survival horror games, including Five Nights at Freddy's.
To date, Markiplier has more than 12 billion views on his channel and 24.7 million subscribers. He is regarded as one of the top personalities in the gaming industry and has been recognized for his charity work, which has raised more than $3 million. Forbes named Markiplier the most influential gamer of 2017.
4 VanossGaming (24.8m subscribers)
Evan Fong joined YouTube from Canada in 2011 with a username inspired by his father's PlayStation alias (vanoss62). He covers a variety of games, and most of his videos feature compilations of moments during gaming sessions with friends. In the past, Vanoss and his friends have been recorded playing popular games like Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: World At War.
VanossGaming has amassed more than 11 billion views and 24.8 million subscribers since its conception. In 2015, the channel became one of the top 25 most-subscribed on YouTube.
3 Rezendeevil (25.7m subscribers)
Pedro Afonso Rezende is another young YouTube star that joined at a young age of just 16 years old in 2012. His channel, Rezendeevil, houses daily vlogs and sketch videos. However, he is also known for recording playthroughs of games like Minecraft and Resident Evil (notice the play on Resident Evil in his username). When he first started his channel, he uploaded three videos a day about Minecraft.
Rezendeevil is currently the sixth most-subscribed channel in Brazil, Pedro's home country. The channel boasts over 9 million views and 25.7 million subscribers. Rezendeevil earned Pedro the Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Gaming in 2016.
2 Fernanfloo (34.5m subscribers)
Fernanfloo, real name Luis Fernando Flores Alvarado, of Salvador, joined YouTube in 2011. His channel consists of vlogs, comedy sketches, and playthroughs of games including Fortnite, Resident Evil, and more. Unfortunately, Fernanfloo has been inactive on YouTube since April 2018. His last video was about a Resident Evil 2 remake.
Still, despite his departure from YouTube, Fernanfloo has 34.5 million subscribers and more than 7 billion views. He has since moved on to Twitch to stream his gaming videos. In addition, he has an Apple gaming app under the same name.
1 PewDiePie (102m subscribers)
Even those who have never picked up a gaming controller in their life have likely heard of the legendary Swedish YouTube star known as PewDiePie. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg created the channel in 2010 and began uploading Let's Play videos of horror and action games. Since then, he has expanded his videos to include vlogs, comedy sketches, music videos, and shows.
PewDiePie has held the title of most-subscribed YouTube channel for over five years, with over 102 million subscribers and more than 24 billion views. Now, 10 years after the channel's initial release, PewDiePie has announced that he will be taking a break from YouTube in 2020 because he is "tired."
There is no word on when, if at all, he plans to return to the platform.