PewDiePie Editor Breaks His Silence On Pewds Quitting
In case you haven't noticed, it's been an abnormally quiet week on YouTube. After several years of constant Let's Plays and other gaming content, PewDiePie has taken an extended hiatus from the video platform.
Last month, PewDiePie (a.k.a. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg) shocked fans when he announced his intention to take a break. He stated that he was "feeling very tired" and needed to step away from social media for a bit. He also expressed displeasure with YouTube's new content guidelines, which have become much more stringent in recent months.
This break also put an end to a long streak of daily uploads. PewDiePie isn't known for slowing down, even recording videos while on his honeymoon. In other words, he really meant business with this self-imposed hiatus.
Since his final video on Jan. 15, fans have been left wondering what's next for PewDiePie. Thanks to a recent interview with Sive Morten, PewDiePie's editor, we have at least a bit of reassurance. Let's take a look at this chat and see if we can figure out what the future holds for PewDiePie.
Is this the end for PewDiePie?
The short answer is that it's highly unlikely that this is the end. In fact, if you ask editor Sive Morten, PewDiePie couldn't stay away from YouTube even if he tried.
In an interview with Metro, Morten explained, "He's unironically addicted to making YouTube videos. The whole thing about 'Hey, I enjoy making videos,' he really does enjoy it."
While Morten didn't offer any insight as to how long the break would last, he did assure fans that it wasn't permanent. Morten, who has been editing PewDiePie's videos for three years, thinks they both just needed a break. He did, however, express concerns that this could end up being a bad thing.
"With YouTube, having a break is sort of detrimental to your channel," Morten explained, revealing slight trepidation towards the whole thing. "I think it's worth it for him."
This is a very real concern for anyone in the streaming game. With YouTube's algorithms and policies in a constant state of flux, content creators have to stay on top of changing trends is the key to staying successful. However, it's worth remembering that PewDiePie's channel hit 100 million subscribers last year. It's unlikely that he'll be forgotten quickly.
What led to the break?
One of the recurring topics within Morten's interview with Metro is the idea that fan response has likely had a huge hand in PewDiePie's decision.
"The fanbase is big, I do feel some pressure but at the same time I try my best," he explained. Morten elaborated on some of his struggles with the fanbase, including the fact that he's received threats from people who hate his work. This has been a contributing factor in his reluctance to appear in any of PewDiePie's videos.
In other words, you can imagine the tremendous amount of pressure PewDiePie must feel as the face of a veritable social media empire. After all, this is a guy who had to ask fans to stop showing up at his house unannounced. Despite all of this, Morten reiterated his belief that PewDiePie would never quit the platform entirely, stating that he believes the YouTuber to be "really addicted."
So that's some good news for PewDiePie's concerned fans. But now that we know he's not gone for good, the question remains: what's next?
What does the future hold for PewDiePie?
Since his hiatus began, it appears that PewDiePie is making the most of it. He has recently posted photos of a trip to Japan with his wife Marzia Bisognin. The happy couple got hitched last year and it seems they are enjoying his time away from the constant working grind.
Still, there are reasons to believe that PewDiePie's return to YouTube will be worth the wait for his fans. For one, PewDiePie's hiatus announcement was accompanied soon after by the deletion of all of the tweets on his Twitter account. This suggests that when he makes his return, he intends to do so with a clean slate. Coupled with his promise to come back at "10,000%," fans should be excited to see what he brings to the table after recharging his batteries.
In other words, sit tight, gang. It's unlikely that we'll get too much further into 2020 without some formal announcement regarding when we'll see PewDiePie on YouTube again. PewDiePie is no stranger to kicking up controversy, so this hiatus should be no different. We'll hear something before too long.