The end of the year is always a time to take stock. Several prestigious streaming awards have already announced their nomination shortlists. Notably, The Game Awards 2025 revealed the five streamers competing for Content Creator of the Year — and Charles “MoistCr1TiKaL” White Jr., a well-known American streamer and YouTuber, is among them.
Charles “MoistCr1tiKaL” White Jr. — also known as Cr1TiKaL, penguinz0, or simply Charlie — is one of the most recognizable and influential creators on YouTube and Twitch. Famous for his deadpan humor, monotone delivery, and sharp, straightforward commentary, he’s built a massive following across gaming, reaction content, esports, music, and philanthropy. Today, he remains one of the internet’s defining personalities, consistently drawing attention for his takes on creator drama, gaming news, and viral events.
Charles Christopher White Jr. was born on August 2, 1994, in Tampa, Florida. He attended Carrollwood Day School, where he played on the varsity basketball team. He later enrolled at the University of Tampa, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human sciences with a focus on exercise physiology.
White began making videos when he was just 12 years old, starting with gameplay montages and comedic commentary. His early uploads quickly became cult favorites for their absurd humor and his unmistakable narration style. He launched his career at a time when livestreaming was still in its infancy, and he became one of the creators who helped introduce this new medium to a wider audience.
Early YouTube breakthrough
Cr1tiKaL began making YouTube videos in 2006, uploading content that mostly revolved around anime discussions, anime music videos, and gaming AMVs on his early channels. He launched his penguinz0 YouTube channel on May 7, 2007. Around this period, he also streamed live on Justin.tv, broadcasting from late 2009 through early 2010.
Cr1TiKaL’s signature look — a plain white T-shirt and long hair — became instantly recognizable. The style caught on so much that fans jokingly began referring to him as “Internet Jesus.”
Unlike many streamers, White never limited his content to a single niche like gaming or esports. Instead, he frequently weighed in on trending and culturally relevant topics. During that period, he became one of the most distinctive voices in the online creator space, and his commentary drew attention not just from fans and fellow streamers, but also from a much broader, mainstream audience.
In 2013, Cr1tiKaL was highlighted by Tubefilter for criticizing YouTube’s new comment system, which required users to have a Google+ account to post comments. By early 2015, he had expanded his content to cover a wide range of topics, including internet drama. His commentary videos — often focused on online platforms and sharply critical of YouTube’s policies — began attracting attention from major media outlets.
Cr1tiKaL himself / Photo: Reddit
White proved early in his career that he was a creator with many talents. Alongside his entertaining gaming videos, he consistently produced talk shows and podcasts, showcasing a much broader range than most of his peers. In December 2016, he began co-hosting The Official Podcast with Jackson Clarke, Andrew Wagenheim, and Kaya Orsan. His wide-ranging content and thoughtful commentary quickly made him a go-to source for quotes, with major outlets like The Daily Star, The Daily Dot, The Guardian, Kotaku, and others regularly citing his takes.
Cr1TiKaL's rise to Twitch popularity
Cr1TiKaL has continued producing content that analyzes events on online platforms and within their communities. His videos often went viral, drawing attention not just from fans, but from the media as well. By March 2018, his YouTube channel had surpassed two million subscribers. That same year, he began streaming on Twitch. During the 2019-2020, many creators were struggling with the creative challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. As collaborations and joint streams became increasingly common among popular creators, White naturally joined in.
During the pandemic, Cr1TiKaL expanded into hosting esports tournaments. He teamed up with fellow YouTuber Jacob "Alpharad" Rabon IV to organize Super Smash Bros. Ultimate competitions. Later, they collaborated on the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl charity tournament, as well as several other events.
In late 2020, White’s popularity surged thanks to his Twitch streams featuring chess and Among Us during the game’s viral peak, alongside popular creators like Thomas "Sykkuno", Imane "Pokimane" Anys, Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter, Tyler "Trainwreckstv", and Jeremy "Disguised Toast" Wang. In June, he competed in the first PogChamps chess tournament, hosted by Chess.com. He won one of the most highly anticipated matches of the event, defeating fellow Twitch streamer Félix "xQc" Lengyel in just six moves. Dot Esports later named the game one of the five “biggest streaming moments of 2020.”
On October 9, 2025 Cr1TiKaL announced the decision to disable most monetization and donation features on his channels. He stated his discomfort with receiving money from fans who work hard for their income, especially since he has already earned a substantial amount. He encouraged viewers to instead donate to charitable causes.
White also disabled YouTube Super Chats and Channel Memberships, set the donation threshold for Twitch Bits extremely high and urged viewers to cancel their Twitch subscriptions where possible. He has stated that his streaming career has earned him more than $35.8 million, so he doesn’t rely on viewer donations for income.
Cr1TiKaL’s esports legacy
In January 2021, White started hosting the Twitch game show Hivemind alongside fellow streamer Ludwig Ahgren. The two would later team up on a variety of projects, including venturing into owning their own esports organizations.
In recent years, esports has played an increasingly central role in Cr1TiKaL’s career. In August 2021, he announced a new esports organization, Moist Esports. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate player Kolawole “Kola” Aideyan was the first to join, claiming a tournament victory under the name “Moist Kola.” The organization also fielded teams in Guilty Gear Strive, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Brawlhalla, Street Fighter 6, Valorant, and Apex Legends. Among its standout achievements was winning the Rocket League Championship Series 2021–22 Spring Split Major in July 2022.
MoistCr1tiKal as ALGS co-caster / Photo: Electronic Arts
On January 25, 2023, Moist Esports announced that Ludwig Ahgren had joined as a co-owner alongside Nick Allen. Two years later, Cr1tiKaL and Ludwig expanded their ventures by becoming co-owners of Shopify Rebellion, with all of Moist Esports’ current rosters transitioning under the new organization.
Today, Shopify Rebellion fields around ten teams across multiple games. Its rosters include Valorant, Apex Legends, StarCraft II, Rocket League, Rainbow Six, and several fighting game titles.
Cr1TiKaL’s varied achievements beyond livestreaming
Beyond livestreaming, White has proven to be a truly multi-talented creator. In addition to gaming and commenting on internet drama, he has explored music, voice acting, business ventures, and even film. As early as 2014, he appeared as an extra in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
In 2019, Cr1TiKaL teamed up with Troy McKubre of the band Solstate to form a musical duo called the Gentle Men. They began releasing a series of singles that same year. The Gentle Men followed up with their debut album, The Evolution of Tears, in 2021, and a self-titled EP in 2023.
That same year, White and his childhood friend Matt Philips co-founded a multi-channel network called Double Helix Media. Shortly afterward, it merged with the management team of creator Gibi ASMR to form Human Media Group, which reportedly had signed 150 creators by April 2022. In August 2022, Human Media Group merged with the management team of Tyler “JimmyHere” Collins, forming what is now known as Mana Talent Agency.
In July 2021, Cr1tiKaL announced the launch of a graphic novel series titled GODSLAP, which he co-created with author Stephanie Phillips and artist Ricardo Jaime, and was published by Meatier Productions. White expressed interest in expanding the series beyond comics, hinting at an animated adaptation currently in production.
Cr1takaL and GODSLAP comic series / Photo: instagram.com/moistcritikalclips
Cr1TiKaL has lent his voice to video game characters and anime dubbing. One of his latest roles is the supporting character Sonar in the 2025 video game Dispatch, which stars Aaron Paul.
Today, White remains one of the most popular streamers in the United States, boasting over 17.5 million YouTube subscribers and 5.7 million Twitch followers. His record for peak concurrent viewership is 433,100, achieved in November 2024 during the U.S. presidential election.
Cr1TiKaL is currently the 15th most-followed streamer on Twitch among creators based in the United States.
In 2025, White received a nomination for Content Creator of the Year at The Game Awards. He is competing against Marc Robert "Caedrel" Lamont, Kai Cenat, Sakura Miko, and The Burnt Peanut, with the winner set to be announced on December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
