IShowSpeed has been crowned Rolling Stone’s Most Influential Creator of 2025, capping off a wild year of global tours, viral stunts, and record-breaking streams. He’s joined in the top 25 by fellow streaming heavyweights Kai Cenat, MrBeast, Ironmouse, and Duke Dennis, proof that gaming creators are driving culture worldwide.
Rolling Stone have named iShowSpeed the Most Influential Creator of 2025 in their latest culture list. The American - who was not part of 2024's top 25, has since become a worldwide sensation for his wild antics, travels and content. Four other major gaming streamers and creators made the top 25; MrBeast, Kai Cenat, Ironmouse and Duke Dennis.
Kai Cenat, who was voted #1 in the 2024 rankings, remains a key figure in #4. Elsewhere the formidable MrBeast remains in the top 10, placing #7 in 2025 following #4 in the 2024 rankings.
iShowSpeed went global in 2025
IShowSpeed topping the Rolling Stone Most Influential Creator of 2025 ranking should not come as a major shock. The last year was especially transformative for iShowSpeed, who went from a high profile American creator to a global phenomenon.
Over the course of the last year, IShowSpeed was speared by Bron Breaker at wrestling's Royal Rumble, scored the winning penalty in the Sidemen Charity Match, and even became a limited edition Topps card. However, his rise to global recognition comes down to his trips abroad.
iShowSpeed IRL tours become a cult classic
A major part of IShowSpeed's transition to worldwide fame is his IRL tours around the globe in the last year, including a trip to South America, Europe and two trips to Asia. In total iShowSpeed visited over 28 countries in the last 365 days. In many countries his visit became a cultural phenomenon, in particular his visit to China, where he became an unofficial ambassador for the country.
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🌍 Global Tours (2024–2025)
Date | Countries | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Asia Tour (Sept 2024) | Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia | Surpassed 1M concurrent viewers in Indonesia (record for English-speaking streamer); sparred with Manny Pacquiao (Philippines); met Simu Liu (Singapore); hosted by Crown Prince of Johor (Malaysia). |
| South America Tour (Jan 2025) | Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia | Named honorary mayor of Lima (Peru); met Arturo Vidal in Chile. |
| East Asia Tour (Mar–Apr 2025) | China (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen), Hong Kong, Mongolia | Streamed nearly 48 hours, amassing 6.77M hours watched; peaked at 253K live viewers in Shenzhen; trained with Shaolin monks; met viral “Chinese Trump”. |
| EU Tour Part 2 (Jul 2025) | Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Turkey, France, Spain, more | Welcomed by Lithuanian officials (folk dancing, hot-air balloon rides), peaked at 115K live viewers; marked Speed’s return to Twitch after 4 years. |
In September 2024, IShowSpeed toured South-East Asia, spanning seven countries. During his trip to Indonesia his stream surpassed one million concurrent viewers, a new record for an English-speaking creator on YouTube.
During his trip he also rubbed shoulders with several celebrities including former boxer Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines and Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu in Singapore. The trip amassed 110 million views and saw him reach 30 million YouTube subscribers. Meanwhile during his trip to South America he became honorary mayor of Lima, the capital city.
Rolling Stone Most Influential Creators of 2025 Ranking
IShowSpeed was not the only gamer and streamer to make the top 25. VTuber Ironmouse, who broke the record for most Twitch subscribers in September 2024, is ranked #17. Formidable proof of the growing influence of VTubers in popular culture.
Elsewhere AMP's Duke Dennis finds himself in #12. Mixing gaming with IRL content, Duke Dennis has become somewhat of an icon for the younger generation, in particular from his TikTok content and his natural charm and charisma.
- IShowSpeed
- Druski
- Ms Rachel
- Kai Cenat
- Quenlin Blackwell
- Caleb Hearon
- MrBeast
- Hasan Piker
- Camilla Araujo
- Alex Cooper
- Jake Shane
- Duke Dennis
- Drew Afualo
- Tefi Pessoa
- Speedy Morman
- Ilona Maher
- Ironmouse
- Anayka She
- Theo Von
- Sabrina Brier
- Alix Earle
- Meredith Hayden
- Dave Portnoy
- Brandon Edelman
- Kay Poyer
Source: Rolling Stone
