After 13 years of being a gamer on YouTube, PewDiePie has shared that he's 'done' with games right now: 'I'd rather be doing something else'

Pewdiepie at Star Wars: The Force Awakens European premiere (2015) — (Image credit: Chris Jackson (Getty Images))

Felix Kjellberg, AKA PewDiePie, has shared in the Kjellberg Mail newsletter that after 13 years of being a gamer on YouTube, he is officially done with videogames for the time being. For those who have been following his channel for a while though, this won't come as much of a surprise.

Eight years ago, a video titled "Why I don't play video games anymore" was uploaded to the PewDiePie channel, explaining the reasons behind the lack of Let's Play videos. Since then, his channel has adapted into more lifestyle blogging and the occasional hobby vlog. Of course, there are a few games sprinkled in, with the most recent video featuring Geoguessr. But aside from that, it's not the content you would've expected to see ten years ago.

There's a good reason for this though, which PewDiePie explains in the November Kjellberg Mail newsletter. He shared, "Since becoming a dad, everything does get evaluated differently. Every hour has weight now in a way it didn't before. One of the biggest things I decided to drop was videogames. But here's the thing: if I really wanted to, there'd be plenty of time for me to play videogames. I've just decided that, if time is limited, I'd rather be doing something else."

The post continues to explain how he still plays 30 minutes or so of videogames every now and then, but claims that the "days of logging dozens of hours in one game are over." This isn't just due to being a father now either. Felix continues to say how it "ties directly into my YouTube channel. Since I've been so preoccupied with YouTube and gaming, I haven't actually done much to build myself and grow. So right now, I'm in a different mindset where I want to learn."

But just because the days of endless Let's Plays have come to an end, it doesn't mean the PewDiePie channel has come to a close. In fact, dedicating more time to different skills has inspired PewDiePie to post a wider variety of content which can be seen on his channel overview. For example, a video about his first PC build pulled in over 4.8 million views, while a follow up video titled "Accidentally Build a Nuclear Supercomputer" received 2.7 million.

These videos don't always earn a 100% positive reception, but that doesn't seem likely to stop this new era of content from being taking priority over any gaming videos. PewDiePie concludes his section of the newsletter with: "It's so funny to me when I release a video where I share whatever I've worked on. Some people get dumbfounded by how I can learn in such a short time. Some people call it out like 'Well, if I had infinite time like him I would too.' But the reality is I don't have infinite time. I just chose to spend it on what I think is more valuable, and seeing how people react like that validates that thought."

TOPICS

Kara is an evergreen writer. Having spent four years as a games journalist guiding, reviewing, or generally waffling about the weird and wonderful, she’s more than happy to tell you all about which obscure indie games she’s managed to sink hours into this week. When she’s not raising a dodo army in Ark: Survival Evolved or taking huge losses in Tekken, you’ll find her helplessly trawling the internet for the next best birdwatching game because who wants to step outside and experience the real thing when you can so easily do it from the comfort of your living room. Right?

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.