61% of the US population plays games weekly, and 64% of gamers also watch gaming content, making gaming content ever-popular.
Gaming content isn’t just popular, it’s huge business.
The global gaming industry generates over $180 billion per year, and a large share of that attention (and money) comes through content: YouTube videos, TikToks, livestreams, clips, reviews, and creator-led communities.
Gaming is one of the most watched categories on YouTube, one of the most viral on TikTok, and one of the highest-earning niches for creators across platforms.
And the audience is everywhere.
61% of the U.S. population plays games weekly, and 64% of gamers also watch gaming content. That means most people who play games are also watching, following, and engaging with creators every single day.
As a gamer myself, I consume hours of gaming content every week. In fact, one of my favorite activities is watching gaming clips while I eat (mukbang x gaming content, anyone?).
In this article, I' going to take a look at why gaming content continues to be popular, some examples of gaming content, the types of content you can create, and how you can monetize it.
Why gaming content is always popular
As mentioned, 61% of the US population plays games weekly, whether that’s computer, console, or mobile games.
That’s a mind-boggling number. What’s even more wild is that according to Newzoo, 64% of people who play games also view or follow gaming content.
I even sometimes see my mom watching gaming content about games like HayDay on social media.
So there’s a huge market for any type of gaming content you could create.
On top of the market, gaming content is easy to digest, works great as filler (background activity while the creator talks about something else), and is inherently geared towards creating communities.
How many game genres are there (and which perform best on social media?)
There are around 10 main video-game genres (think sandbox games, role-playing, simulation, strategy) and each has its own sub-genre (like creative and open-world for sandbox games).
And while some game genres perform better at social media, like sandbox games (Minecraft and Roblox) and shooters (like Fortnite, Valorant, and Call of Duty), there’s an audience for any game, on any platform.
Whether you want to create cozy game content (Stardew Valley or The Sims) or educational content for complex games (Factorio or World of Warcraft), there’s a viewer base that consumes it.
You just have to get their attention.
Let’s take a look at some examples of small to medium creators that have been garnering millions of views from content everyone can do at their home and why they’re going viral.
Examples of viral gaming content, and why they’re so popular
Opall_official, tutorials and funny clips
Opall have been creating content for the Ark: Survival Evolved game for a long time, and I never skip their videos whenever I see them on TikTok - and I’ve never even played the game before.
Their content consist of tutorials and memes about the game, but the most fascinating thing is this: a couple of months ago they started posting the same type of funny gameplay with the same music at every single post - no commentary, no face, just gameplay and the same music.
The music they use is catchy, their in-game player model is interesting looking - and that’s the whole gimmick.
They post content every day, in the last week, his videos garnered over 2.1 million views.
Even though the content is very simple, Opall_official currently has 455,000+ followers on TikTok, and there are a few factors that make the content go viral:
- They found a simple and sustainable content form: gameplay of a game they enjoy and a catchy music that plays into the goofy vibes of his gameplay - no face, no commentary
- They post consistently, almost every day
- They figured out viewers find the music funny and kept track of what works and what doesn’t
Vivid_discord, gameplays and gaming news
Vivid Discord is a creator I started following a couple weeks ago, and they create content on multiple platforms: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube - and TikTok is their best performing platform yet.
His content consists mainly of gameplays and gaming news, with gaming news usually getting more views.
Since Vivid Discord post consistently every day, mentioning a wide range of game genres, console types, and news types, their target audience is large, and their account is growing every day.
One bonus that Vivid Discord has over many other gaming creators is that they create content showing their face, and using their own voice. This makes both social media algorithms and viewers love their content.
They currently have 154,000+ followers on TikTok and here’s why their content works:
- They post consistently
- They post gameplays of a wide range of game genres
- They utilize social media techniques like good hooks, the right video length, and repurposing long-form YouTube videos by turning them into short-form TikTok/Instagram clips
Adroidirl, gaming news
Adroid is a gaming news creator I’ve been following for a very long time, and I never skip their videos.
Why? Because they know what they’re talking about, and they share consistent gaming updates like:
- Black Friday sale games under $25
- New video games releasing this week
- Everything you missed in gaming this week
- Every game announced at Xbox’s Partner Review
This type of content is hugely valuable to the viewer, because it brings together all of the most important news in one place.
They currently have 160,000+ followers on TikTok and their content attracts viewers because:
- They provide a lot of news value with their videos
- Their videos are up-to-date
- Just like Vivid Discord, they play into the social media algorithms with listicle-type videos and they show their face and use their own voice on videos
Popular gaming content that anyone can create
When it comes to creating gaming content, the options are endless, whether you want to share gaming reviews, post gameplays with commentary, livestream or sessions, or just share simple gaming clips.
Let’s break down some of the most popular content types.
Gaming tutorials
Tutorials are some of the most popular gaming content you’ll see on social media, mainly on YouTube and TikTok.
While some gaming tutorials are long, like ‘How to pass The New South mission on Red Dead Redemption 2,’ some are very short like ‘Places where Xur rotates between on Destiny 2.’
If you have above-average knowledge (or preferably expertise in a video game) and if you can create up-to-date content, tutorial content could be your go-to choice.
Commentary
Commentary-type gaming content usually works well with audiences in platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Most popular commentary content creators have fun personalities, can comfortably talk about a wide range of topics (not just gaming), and are comfortable with showing their face online.
While there are a lot of commentary content creators that show their face, a notable amount of them don’t - but social media algorithms and viewers usually prefer seeing the person they’re listening to.
Gameplay
Gameplay content is the most common gaming content you’ll find on the web. With new games being released every day, and most games having long replayability, gameplay is a sustainable content type.
While gameplays usually go with commentary, it’s not a necessity. Everyone can be good at a game, and the main focus of gameplay videos is just playing the game, not making comments or being a pro at it.
YouTube is the best social media platform for gameplay content.
Funny or pro gameplay clips
If you use Instagram or TikTok, most of the gaming content you see will be gameplay clips.
Unlike regular gameplay videos, which are long, clips are usually 10 to 45 seconds long, so they don’t focus on walkthroughs or commentary but instead short, entertaining videos.
Two of the most common clip types you’ll find on the web are funny clips - like gaming fails or unexpected moments, or pro gaming clips where a really skilled player cooks others.
The best part about clips? You don’t even have to be the person that plays the game.
There are many content creators who open up submission forms for regular players to submit their clips. Then, the creator either posts them as single clips, or makes a long video out of them - like Top Plays, one of my favorite YouTube channels.
How you can make money with gaming content
Some gaming content creators do it for the love of the game, but there are others (a very large chunk, in fact) that make a living out of it.
There are a few different ways that you can monetize your gaming content - let’s take a look at the most popular four options.
Ad revenue and creator programs
Many gaming content creators earn money by signing up for programs like YouTube’s Partner Program and TikTok’s Creator Program. These programs pay creators based on views they get.
The amount you can make differs based on the platform's rules. But, it’s definitely a solid choice for all content creators as it's not your only way to monetize - it can be stacked with other methods like sponsorship and paid communities.
As a content creator, you can get ad revenue or sign up for creator programs by:
- Meeting the platform requirements (like minimum subscriber count, minimum views, etc.)
- Applying to the programs through your platform’s dashboard
- Setting up payment information
- Posting consistent and valuable content
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are usually made between medium to large businesses and content creators.
For example, Jynxzi, who got famous for his personality and Rainbow Six Siege plays, has a royalty model sponsorship from G FUEL, which allows Jynxzi to get a cut of each sale when the customer uses his code.
You don't have to have millions of followers to get sponsored, but as a small creator the pay could be only commissions or free goodies (like games or merch).
As a content creator, you can start getting sponsorships by:
- Build a profile for your creator persona
- Reach out to brands or make it easy for them to reach out to you by promoting your contact information
- Be authentic, create original content, and be consistent
Streaming
Streaming is a great way to get a loyal community going for gaming creators, and it can be stacked with sponsorships and paid communities easily.
Propernator is a Twitch streamer with over 20,000 followers, and when it comes to making money he says: "The best way of making money is through subscriptions and donations through your viewers".
This is usually done in streaming-first platforms like Twitch or other platforms that have strong streaming capabilities, like YouTube or Whop.
Creators on Twitch, for example, have multiple income streams:
- Subscriptions: Viewers can subscribe to streamers via three tiers ($4.99, $9.99, and $24.99) per month, and the streamer will get 50% of all subscription sales. If the streamer is a Twitch Partner Plus member, they can get 70% of the sales.
- Ad revenue: Streamers on Twitch earn per 1k ad views during their streams and they can control when ads run if they’re Twitch Partner or Affiliate.
- Bits: Viewers on Twitch can buy bits, the virtual currency of Twitch, and use them to unlock rewards set by the streamer, who then gets 100% of the revenue.
- Donations: Perhaps one of the most popular ways to get paid as a streamer is donations. Viewers directly donate to the streamer via their preferred donation processor.
As a content creator and streamer, you can start getting paid by:
- Choosing the right streaming platform for you (Twitch for gaming and IRL streams, YouTube for long form video content + streaming, etc.)
- Meet monetization requirements of the platform
- Add donation links to your streaming profile
- Consistently stream and try to build a loyal audience
Paid communities
Most medium to large gaming creators already have their own communities made up of fans. But when people hear 'paid communities' they usually think of fully private groups that require payment to join - and that’s actually uncommon in gaming.
What is common is paid roles or membership tiers. Anyone can join the community for free, but fans can pay to unlock extra content, perks, or special roles and badges that show their support..
As a creator, you can start a paid community by:
- Signing up to an online community platform like Whop or Discord
- Create a platform for your audience
- Create separate, paid options for roles or access to additional content
Turn your gaming passion into income with Whop
At this point, you’ve seen why gaming content never really loses momentum, the kinds of content creators are already making, and the different ways you can actually earn from it.
That’s what makes gaming so powerful - anyone can jump in. If you enjoy playing, sharing, or teaching, you already have what you need to start creating.
And the same goes for monetization. With Whop, turning your content into something people can support or pay for doesn’t take weeks or technical know-how. It takes a few minutes.
If you’re ready to launch your own whop and start monetizing what you’re already creating, you can head to Whop, set up your account, and get your whop live in no time.
