From around the ages of eight to thirteen, I was always perpetually upset by the same thing: not being a Minecraft kid like all of my friends were. I didn’t have a laptop or PC to play it on, so I was stuck with Minecraft: Pocket Edition at best. 

As I grew older, I heard distant conversations regarding Aphmau and other topical Minecraft YouTubers. Now, there has been a resurgence of Minecraft streamers and the game itself. Some of the most popular of these YouTubers include TommyInnit (Thomas Simons), Tubbo (Toby Smith), Ranboo (Johnathan Schlatt), and the late Technoblade (Alexander).

However, perhaps the most famous of this new generation is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer by the name of Dream (Clay). Dream is known for being the leader of a Minecraft Server known as the Dream Survival Multiplayer (SMP). He has gained an extremely dedicated following of 31 million subscribers, and on the whole, people have mixed feelings regarding them.

One of the basic “do not interact” (DNI) criteria for people on the internet is regarding wild Dream “stans.” They are widely disliked on the internet due to the obsessive behavior and uncomfortable shipping of the streamers themselves. Although there are some fans who fit into this niche, the average Dream watcher is pretty normal, so much of this hate is a generalization and unfounded.

Due to both his fans and his own behaviors, Dream, like anyone with a larger social media following, has haters. The accusations regarding him started out small, with some saying that he cheats during his games and that his wins are illegitimate. However, as his platform grew and he gained more and more popularity, more serious rumors surfaced. There are several pieces of evidence that suggest he engaged in inappropriate conversations with underage fans. Thus far, though, none of this has been confirmed.

Dream was popular enough due to his gaming videos, but one particular aspect of him is what set him apart from other streamers: the mystery surrounding his face. Since his debut on YouTube in 2014 and his regular streaming in 2019, Dream’s face has been obscured, mainly by a simple smiley face mask. This mask has become a staple in Dream’s fanbase, even prompting a song by him, aptly named “Mask.”

However, on Oct. 2, 2022, everything changed.

After several implications that were not acted on, Dream, at long last, revealed his face. While I am no Dream fan nor a Minecraft player, I anxiously awaited the release of his face reveal along with a huge chunk of people who are also overly invested in internet culture. As irritated as I was when the video displayed another countdown when it began, Dream did not procrastinate too long, and his face was displayed somewhat promptly.

He wasn’t what I imagined, but Dream is not an unusual-looking person. Despite this, with the internet being the internet, Dream was dragged through the mud based on his appearance, being compared to several oddly-proportioned cartoon characters.

Admittedly, this was somewhat entertaining to me, but it was overkill. Relatively, though, there was an overwhelmingly positive response from Dream’s fans as they gathered around to see their idol revealed.

My strongest opinions do not reside in the YouTuber’s appearance, though.

The greatest concern I have in regard to the creator is how exactly the exposing of his face will impact his channel. Dream is no doubt a successful YouTuber due to his personality and skills, but it is difficult to deny that he has held his rein for so long because of the continuous rumors of his appearance. Dream, to an extent, was likely kept at the forefront of gaming talk because of the little information known about him.

Nevertheless, I don’t think that Dream is going to go downhill and lose popularity due to his face reveal. In fact, I think he chose the timing for it perfectly. Even though Dream isn’t going anywhere soon and his subscriber count is still climbing, it’s fair to say that he’s been sitting at the top for quite some time. Dream isn’t heading for a major downfall, but he still will have to come down gradually at some point. 

While he could have used his face reveal as a revival later down the line, in order to get the greatest response possible, his timing was practically impeccable. He was at his peak and hasn’t hit obscurity despite the fact that he lost a degree of anonymity.

While the future for Dream may change based on the allegations against him that must be further investigated, his face reveal certainly left ripples in the history of the internet. In order to gain a good following, one must have at least a certain level of knowledge of how to most effectively run their accounts; Dream, with his face reveal, has proved that he has achieved this.