Markiplier
- Simai Kang
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The Beginning of His Journey
On March 6, 2012, a college dropout from the University of Cincinnati named Mark Edward Fischbach launched his first YouTube channel.
The channel name "Markiplier" is a portmanteau of Mark and multiplier. He originally planned to upload comedy sketches and action videos, but it was his lifelong love of gaming that drove his growth. His first breakout series was "Amnesia: The Dark Descent," which earned him roughly 94,000 subscribers in his first year.
He left college just two semesters shy of a biomedical engineering degree. That was his bet. YouTube or nothing.
Building a Career
In early 2014, Markiplier relocated to Los Angeles to scale his business. He became best known for his let's plays of indie horror games. His first playthrough of Five Nights at Freddy's, uploaded August 12, 2014, now has over 128 million views, making it his most-watched video ever.
For over a decade, he documented his obsession with the FNAF series, working through its punishing difficulty and unraveling its dense lore across hundreds of videos. The community gave him a title accordingly: the King of FNAF.
In September 2015, Markiplier appeared alongside fellow YouTubers on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The following month, October 2015, he crossed 10 million subscribers.
From late 2016 into early 2018, he toured with William Morris Endeavor alongside four other creators, performing 31 shows across the United States and Europe. The performances blended music, comedy, and improv, pulling from the same instincts he'd been developing online for years.
By March 2018, his channel had hit 20 million subscribers. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with PewDiePie, Jacksepticeye, and others on gaming sessions and comedy projects.
Beyond YouTube
Markiplier expanded into voice acting, film, and audio drama. He co-produced a podcast drama called The Edge of Sleep in 2019, released in 2024. In 2019 and 2022, he directed two interactive films on YouTube: A Heist with Markiplier and In Space with Markiplier.
In Space with Markiplier earned a nomination for Outstanding Interactive Media at the Children's and Family Emmys.
In spring 2023, Markiplier filmed Iron Lung, an independent adaptation of the video game of the same name. He wrote, directed, and starred in the film, completing production in 35 days on a tight budget. Iron Lung opened in theaters on January 30, 2026.
The film's budget was estimated at $3 million. It has since grossed over $50 million worldwide, significantly outperforming many studio-backed releases during the same window. For a YouTuber to compete at that level in theatrical distribution is a legitimately historic achievement.
A Legacy Still Growing
Markiplier currently sits at 38.6 million subscribers. Beyond gaming and film, he has raised over $3 million for charitable causes by 2018 and continues to support organizations focused on cancer research and children's hospitals. He came in as a dropout with a camera. He is leaving a mark on cinema.
