PewDiePie gangs up the controller: YouTube star prioritises fatherhood and personal growth

In a major shift for one of YouTube's most recognisable faces, the Swedish creator Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, officially declared he is stepping away from his 13-year career as a dedicated gamer. Having assembled over 111 million subscribers primarily through his iconic Let's Play videos, in his latest Kjellberg Mail newsletter, he revealed that fatherhood has fundamentally changed his relationship with time.

After 13 years of being a gamer, PewDiePie quits YouTube

Living in Japan with his wife Marzia and now his son Björn, Kjellberg said, "every hour has weight now in a way it didn’t before." He confessed that he could still make time to play video games, but he made it a conscious decision to use his limited hours for what he considered more valuable pursuits: family and personal development.

This evolution isn’t entirely sudden: His channel has gradually moved away from marathon gaming sessions to lifestyle content and hobby vlogs-a trend validated by the immense success of non-gaming videos like his PC building projects. The days of logging dozens of hours into a single game are, he says, definitively over, though he may still enjoy a quick 30-minute session now and then.

The veteran YouTuber explained that his new mindset was all about learning and building himself, which he had neglected by getting caught up with endless gaming content. To his devoted fanbase-who have grown up alongside him, in many cases-following the tribulations of his life for more than ten years-the shift to prioritise family and personal betterment has been met with widespread support, marking a mature and authentic new chapter for the influential creator.

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