YouTuber Mark Fischbach, aka "Markiplier," is currently embroiled in drama within his fanbase. For context, on December 25, 2024, the YouTuber removed the moderator status of various members from his official subreddit — r/markiplier. At the time, he did not explain his reasoning. A few days later, he posted on the subreddit, enforcing certain rules.
In a post titled "Happy New Year. Prepare to be purged," the YouTuber laid down some rules, which included asking members to "respect the message" and keeping certain information "within the members." He added:
"I will be bringing on new moderators to help enforce these rules as well as reinforcing the most important rule on the list of rules. You know which one I mean. And if you don't, you will suffer the consequences of your ignorance."
Removing some old moderators garnered critical comments from existing members (including ex-mods). One particular mod, u/bravelittletoaster87, expressed their disappointment, stating:
"Mark, I spent multiple years as a moderator. In particular as the head mod. I can't express how disappointed it makes me that you didn't care enough to reach out...I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this place for 4-5 years."
Markiplier responds to the subreddit drama
YouTuber Markiplier has addressed the drama surrounding his official subreddit, responding to a user who labeled him "hubristic." He explained that managing the subreddit is necessary to maintain a positive environment. He wrote:
"I made this subreddit and by extension, the framework for this entire community to grow. In doing so, I have an inherent responsibility to manage it well or at the very least define rules for this community to manage itself in a way that would cultivate a "good" environment."
He also faced criticism for hosting members-only livestreams. Markiplier responded by explaining that these streams were created to help fund some of his projects, including Edge of Sleep. He wrote:
"The members directly fund the larger projects I make. They helped fund WMW, Damien, WAIA, Heist, Space, even when YouTube's own funding was insufficient. Even Edge of Sleep needed additional funding."
The YouTuber further said that he noticed an "inactive" symbol next to the names of some existing moderators. He added that he could not bring in new moderators due to the festive season.
Markiplier is a veteran YouTuber, boasting over 37 million subscribers. In addition to his content on the platform, he is involved in various projects, including hosting podcasts and TV shows.