The top YouTube streamers to follow for hardcore gamers in 2026 are PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, VanossGaming, Ninja, KSI, SSSniperWolf and IShowSpeed. Each built a huge audience on gaming videos, though several have since moved into music, films, vlogs or reaction content. Here is what each one is doing now.
We first published this list in 2021. A lot has changed since then. Some creators have stepped back from games, one has made a feature film, and a new name now pulls bigger live numbers than almost anyone. Subscriber figures below are the latest reported on each creator’s Wikipedia page and keep changing.
Top YouTube gaming streamers: quick facts
| Creator | Real name | Country | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PewDiePie | Felix Kjellberg | Sweden | Gaming, commentary, Japan vlogs |
| Markiplier | Mark Fischbach | USA | Indie horror Let’s Plays |
| Jacksepticeye | Sean McLoughlin | Ireland | Let’s Plays, charity streams |
| VanossGaming | Evan Fong | Canada | Comedy gaming montages |
| Ninja | Richard Tyler Blevins | USA | Fortnite, Halo |
| KSI | Olajide “JJ” Olatunji | UK | Gaming, music, boxing |
| SSSniperWolf | Alia Shelesh | UK-born, US-based | Call of Duty, reaction videos |
| IShowSpeed | Darren Watkins Jr. | USA | High-energy live streams |
Top YouTube streamers to follow for hardcore gamers
1. PewDiePie
Felix Kjellberg from Gothenburg, Sweden, registered the PewDiePie channel in April 2010 and became the face of YouTube gaming. His channel has over 110 million subscribers, according to Wikipedia’s latest update.
His content has changed. He and his wife Marzia moved to Japan in 2022, and his channel shifted towards lifestyle and hobby vlogs in 2025. In November 2025 he said in a newsletter that he was done with video game content for the time being. Follow him for the personality, not for daily gameplay.
2. Markiplier
Mark Fischbach started his channel in March 2012 and is best known for Let’s Plays of indie horror games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Five Nights at Freddy’s series. He has over 38 million subscribers as of February 2026.
He is now a filmmaker as well. Iron Lung, his film based on David Szymanski’s indie horror game, released on 30 January 2026. He directed, wrote, financed and starred in it, and it grossed about 13 million US dollars in its US opening week.
3. Jacksepticeye
Sean McLoughlin from County Galway, Ireland, began uploading in December 2012. His loud, cheerful Let’s Play videos made him one of the most recognisable gaming voices online, and his channel has about 31 million subscribers.
He is also known for his yearly Thankmas charity streams. The 2023 stream raised 6 million US dollars for World Central Kitchen. In 2025 he voiced a character in the game Dispatch, and in 2026 he appeared in Markiplier’s Iron Lung.
4. VanossGaming
Evan Fong, a Canadian creator from Toronto, created the VanossGaming channel in September 2011. Our earlier version got his surname wrong. His comedy montages of sessions with friends in GTA V, Garry’s Mod and Call of Duty built a following of about 26 million subscribers.
In recent years he has focused on music under his real name. He released his debut album, Speed, on 1 May 2026.
Cropped by WikiKiwi / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
5. Ninja
Richard Tyler Blevins started competing in Halo 3 in 2009 and became a household name with Fortnite. In March 2018 his stream with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster set a Twitch record of 635,000 concurrent viewers.
He moved to Mixer in 2019, came back to Twitch in 2020 after Mixer shut down, and since 2022 has streamed on Twitch, YouTube and TikTok together. In March 2024 he shared a melanoma diagnosis and announced in April 2024 that he was cancer-free.
6. KSI
Olajide “JJ” Olatunji from Watford, England, registered his channel in 2009 and started with gaming and sketch videos before moving into music, boxing and business. His channels together have over 46 million subscribers.
He co-founded Prime Hydration with Logan Paul in 2022 and became a full-time judge on Britain’s Got Talent in 2026. On 31 May 2026 he announced he was leaving the Sidemen group, saying he was too busy.
7. SSSniperWolf
Alia Shelesh was born in Liverpool and moved to the United States as a child. She built her channel on Call of Duty, Fortnite and Minecraft videos, then shifted to reaction videos in 2017. Her channel has about 35 million subscribers.
In October 2023, YouTube temporarily demonetised her channel after a dispute with creator Jack Douglass, and she later apologised publicly. Gamers who want pure gameplay may find her current content less game-focused than it once was.
8. IShowSpeed (new for 2026)
Darren Watkins Jr. is the biggest new name in live streaming since our first list. He started with gaming streams and is now known for chaotic IRL tours, football content and music. He crossed 50 million YouTube subscribers on 21 January 2026.
He won Streamer of the Year at the 2025 Streamer Awards, and two Fortnite outfits based on him were added in December 2025.
What happened to Syndicate?
Tom Cassell, known as Syndicate, was on our 2021 list for his Halo, Call of Duty and Minecraft series. He was the first Twitch channel to reach one million followers in 2014 and had over nine million YouTube subscribers in 2023. We have dropped him because there is little recent gaming output to recommend. For more creator stories, see our celebs section and other listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most subscribed gaming YouTuber?
PewDiePie has over 110 million subscribers, the most of any creator on this list. He has, however, stepped back from gaming videos since late 2025.
Does PewDiePie still play games on YouTube?
In November 2025 he said he was done making video game content for the time being. His channel now leans towards lifestyle and hobby vlogs.
Where does Ninja stream now?
Since 2022 Ninja has streamed on Twitch, YouTube and TikTok at the same time. His Twitch channel had about 19.3 million followers in July 2025.
Who are the best gaming YouTubers for horror games?
Markiplier is the best-known name for indie horror Let’s Plays. Jacksepticeye also covers many horror titles, and the two worked together on the 2026 film Iron Lung. Our reviews section covers more on film and series.
Sources: Wikipedia: PewDiePie, Wikipedia: Markiplier, Wikipedia: Ninja, Wikipedia: IShowSpeed.
