In just two years, Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich (25) became the largest streamer on German Twitch. Originally, streaming was only a requirement in his contract as an e-sports player with Hertha BSC. In a stream, he spoke about his success on Twitch after streamer MontanaBlack extensively commented on newcomers on Twitch.
How did the statements come about? Before Elias97, Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris (34) sat on the German Twitch throne. Even today, MontanaBlack has the most followers, but he has to concede to the 9-year-younger rival in terms of watched hours and viewership (via sullygnome).
Recently, MontanaBlack commented on the changes on Twitch and criticized newcomers: They have no talent and “every Tom, Dick, and Harry” now comes to Twitch only for the money. The market, he said, is “totally oversaturated.”
MontanaBlack received significant criticism for his statements and moderated some of his comments.
This discussion about newcomers prompted Elias97, who according to MontanaBlack is among the “good streamers,” to talk about his own success.
For more background on MontanaBlack, check out our video:
Forced for Good
How did the career of EliasN97 start? The streamer does not hide the fact that becoming a content creator was not necessarily on his wishlist. He says he did not start because he enjoyed streaming.
Money was also not a motivation for him, as he never expected to become so big.
Instead, his appearances on YouTube and Twitch were a prerequisite to work as an e-sports player for the club Hertha BSC, he was practically forced into it. The passion, according to EliasN97, came later.
What does he think about streaming today? Although he has now discovered his passion for streaming, EliasN97 admits that he is motivated by financial interests, as anything else would simply not be honest. However, that is not condemnable, as others also work for money.
I am very honest, I would never stream that much if I didn’t have this economic aspect somewhere. […] Otherwise, I would invest my time elsewhere. I enjoy streaming, but I honestly tell you, I do it naturally because of the economic aspect. Anything else would be a lie. It’s a combination of fun and success and money.
Elias97 compares MontanaBlack with Messi – himself with Mbappé
What is behind the success? The success of EliasN97 is not a coincidence. He has a lot of ambition, his projects are future-oriented, and he wants to become even bigger in the coming years, the streamer replied.
The Berliner has only been active on Twitch since April 2020 and has only been streaming regularly over 100 hours a month since September 2021, yet has already managed to surpass MontanaBlack in that time.
He compares the Twitch veteran to football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He himself compares himself more to the rising stars like Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappé, as he is just at the beginning of his career.
You can watch the entire video where EliasN97 reacts to MontanaBlack’s “Realtalk” here:
Sleep and social contacts play a minor role
These are the downsides: For his success, the Berliner streamer is willing to make sacrifices. EliasN97 admits to neglecting his social contacts a bit. However, he makes sure to maintain a certain balance: It is important to him to regularly spend time with his girlfriend, his friends, and his family.
However, the streamer hardly allows himself any breaks: His entire free time goes into streaming, if that can be called free time. He is convinced that all this will pay off eventually.
The Berliner says he would rather “push through now and have no headaches later”. He sacrifices his sleep and social contacts now to have a relaxed future.
What should this future look like? Surprisingly wholesome. EliasN97 dreams of a future as a father, where he sits semi-drunken at his daughter’s indoor volleyball game shouting “unqualified remarks.” Or he scolds his sons when they come home late from the playground – but he would always drive them to training and all games.
Beyond that, his life should consist of mowing lawns, fruit trees, and lots of vacations.
You can read how the grind pays off for EliasN97 here:
This is how much the biggest German Twitch streamer earns – EliasN97 shows his earnings in 2022
