How did IShowSpeed become famous? Breaking down the streamer's rise to supremacy

Darren "IShowSpeed" has been quite a controversial figure in the streaming world since his rise to fame. The popular YouTuber is known for his "hot-headed" personality and antics, with which he's managed to attract an audience of over 11 million subscribers to his YouTube channel.

His controversial words and actions on his streams have landed him in trouble on more than one occasion. He's been the victim of multiple suspensions on the red platform and has received a permanent ban from Valorant as well as Twitch.

The controversies associated with him are a key part of his appeal, which continues to grow as the days go on. With each stream, he continues to push the envelope, seeing what he can and can't get away with, as his fans applaud.

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IShowSpeed's road to success

Speed began taking YouTube content and streaming seriously in 2020, around the time the COVID-19 pandemic began. His content and streams primarily focused on the NBA 2K video game franchise. Slowly, he built a small community for himself with the help of his streams, seeing modest growth throughout his first year of content creation.

Things really began to take off for the young YouTuber in 2021. As he continued streaming 2K, Fortnite, and other games regularly, it became a common occurrence for Darren to have meltdowns on stream, often yelling or throwing things. Clips from his streams, including his outbursts, were spread by fans on social media sites like TikTok.

The viral clips and outbursts propelled him from 100,000 to one million subscribers in less than two months. Moreover, IShowSpeed has managed to sustain this rapid rate of growth, going from one million to 11 million subscribers in just under a year and a half.

Speed's success and entertainment value are largely tied to his stunts and outbursts, creating a brand for himself that has proven to be a double-edged sword for the streamer. Outside observers have noticed a feedback loop, where his meltdowns increase his viewership and engagement, causing the streamer to continuously up the ante on his next freak-out or stunt.

Some of the most infamous moments in IShowSpeed's career stem from sexist rants and threats he's made on stream. Toward the end of 2021, he took part in a date on Adin Ross's stream with internet influencer Ash Kaash. While on the Discord date, Speed repeatedly made threatening comments towards the TikTok star, which were severe enough that he was permanently banned from appearing on Twitch. He also got the same treatment from Epic Games after some sexist comments directed at a female player went viral.

Although he's been successful on YouTube, the video streaming platform has taken disciplinary measures against him in the recent past. Additionally, esports journalist Jake Lucky publicized a clip from an IShowSpeed stream featuring sexually explicit content from a Minecraft mod. This created a beef between the journalist and Speed, which is still ongoing.

Although his content may not be for everyone, there is no doubt that IShowSpeed has found a recipe for internet and social media success that works, at least for him.