Gaming on YouTube has had a bit of a rocky relationship recently. Ever since the latest ” ad-pocalypse” gaming content has taken a serious hit. But that doesn’t mean that gaming is dead on Youtube. While Twitch streaming is definitely on its tail, traditional gaming YouTubers are still very successful. And according to Forbes, the most successful this year is Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier.

Markiplier’s Rise to Fame

In an interview with Forbes Magazine, the self-described introvert talked about his life before YouTube.

“I’d had a bad breakup, I was fired, I had a tumor in my adrenal gland,” he said. “It was a series of unfortunate events. As I was recovering, I was so desperate to have something that was under my control.”

Despite treating his channel as a full-time, the money wasn’t exactly rolling in when he started. However, as horror and independently produced video games we’re trending on YouTube, he began to as well. Playing games like Cry of Fear, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Slender: the Eight Pages, Markiplier cut his teeth on horror games. As the views started to roll in, Mark became less of an early adopter and more of a trendsetter. Videos about Five Nights at Freddy’s, a series he was instrumental in the popularity of, has 21 videos with at least 15 million views. And seven of them have at least 25 million views, with the top two over 50 million views.

Major Influencer

Like all YouTubers, Markiplier started from humble beginnings. But that has definitely changed for him now. Instead of making tens of dollars per video, Mark is racking in the money now. Currently, he is represented by the Hollywood agency William Morris Endeavor, a sign of his money making potential. Not including his near 18 million subscribers on YouTube, Mark is extremely influential and social media. Mark’s internet dominance continues to grow with over 3 million likes on his Facebook page, over 6 million followers on Twitter, and about 6 million followers on Instagram. In addition to his social media presence , many game developers look to him as well as other YouTubers for feedback and are recognized as an integral part of game marketing.

World Beyond YouTube

If you followed Mark from the beginning, you know that his passion has also included comedy. Not just in the style of his gaming videos, but in actual sketch comedy as well. He admits that he didn’t have any idea what he was doing in the beginning. But, he also admits he doesn’t take any days off. When not working on his YouTube channel, he constantly works to improve his abilities elsewhere including sketch comedy. Having just wrapped up a comedy tour with his friends and co-workers, Markiplier has aspirations bigger than just YouTube.

A fellow top influencer Lilly Singh, better known as Superwoman, show’s a clear path forward. Lilly has gone on to find mainstream success outside of YouTube, in acting and as a New York Times bestselling author. Mark has stated that he has no plans to stop doing YouTube anytime soon however. And when you have a channel that continues to grow at an exponential rate, fiercely loyal fans, and you continue to raise millions for charity it’s hard to argue against it.

Mark has faced criticism in the past for a lot of common issues with YouTube gamers. This includes clickbait titles, over-hyping videos, over acting to elicit a response, etc. These criticisms are very valid. Has definitely been guilty of that in the past, and does tend to ham it up a bit to this day. But that doesn’t stop Markiplier from continuing to do what he loves. Making videos for his followers.

Markiplier’s Response

Ironically, Mark’s response wasn’t the most positive about his award. He believed that such an award wasn’t befitting of the kind of community that he has built with his legions of fans.

Look, I’m honored. I really am. But I think you all know how much I abhor the term”influencer” and the accolades that accompany it.

While his response is admirable, and refreshingly humble, he may have gotten the wrong idea. This isn’t about him being some big celebrity. It’s about how he has built something that has created a real impact with others. His actions hold weight with others, and he is in a position to be influential towards others. Not in a negative light, but that people want to hear what he has to say. While he may shy away from it, he has earned his place on Forbes’ list.