Simon “Unge is probably one of the most well-known German content creators. On YouTube and Twitch, millions of people follow him. However, the person behind the online persona has been unwell for some time. Now, the 32-year-old speaks openly about his mental health issues and what the future holds for him.
Who is it about? Unge started uploading Let’s Plays on YouTube in 2012, particularly focusing on the enduring favorite, Minecraft. Before that, he had already run channels on topics such as longboarding, veganism, and his then trademark, dreadlocks.
What began as a hobby evolved into a career over time. Currently, the channel “ungespielt” has 3.7 million followers on YouTube, and 1.4 million people follow the streamer on Twitch.
However, it has been quiet around the content creator for weeks: The last stream took place in March, and no new video was posted on YouTube for 2 weeks. In a video that the content creator released on May 22 on his YouTube channel, he explained what lies behind his absence.
Streamer speaks openly about mental difficulties
What’s going on with Unge? The 32-year-old says he has been suffering from severe social phobia and depression for years, for which he is also undergoing professional treatment. Lately, he has found it increasingly difficult to stand in front of the camera in front of thousands of viewers.
Every time it’s a huge challenge for me to sit in front of the camera and feel like I’m being judged, condemned, and evaluated.
In recent months, he has tried to fight against the social phobia, according to Unge. His 55-day streaming marathon, which ended at the beginning of the year, was already an attempt to confront the fear. During this time, viewers could even watch him sleeping – something that would likely have been too much for many people without social phobia.
Additionally, the 32-year-old explains that he wants to reclaim his privacy after struggling with stalking. After many years in the public eye, his life has felt “like in a glass house.” You can watch the entire video here.
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From Unge to raik – With Anime Avatar and English Streams
This is how it will continue: The content creator does not want to quit; he loves YouTube and Twitch too much. However, things will not continue as they have. Instead, the 32-year-old is planning a big change: He will become a so-called Vtuber.
Instead of standing in front of the camera with his face, he will now present an anime avatar that can reflect his facial expressions and gestures to his viewers. This will happen under the new name “raik.” There have already been first streams with the new persona on Twitch.
On the streaming platform, raik is currently mainly active in WoW and Diablo 4. Viewers can also expect the next novelty: The streams of the 32-year-old will now take place in English.
This is fitting since he often goes live very late for German standards, plays a lot with English-speaking players, and can also improve his language skills that way.
On YouTube, videos in German will be uploaded on the Raik DE channel. The content there will include reactions and “everything he feels like.”
Fans show their support to the content creator
How is this received? Under his video, fans express their support for Unge or raik. Many express their admiration for him being so open about these difficult topics and encourage him to take the time he needs.
Some are apparently determined to support the 32-year-old in his future projects. Since the release of the video, the new Twitch account has gained over 6,000 new followers, and the new YouTube account has already been subscribed to by 12,000 people.
Twitch devours its children – A German streamer says ‘This is breaking me’
