PewDiePie explains why playing video games isn’t a “valuable” use of his time anymore

PewDiePie says his gaming era is largely behind him. Felix Kjellberg revealed that, after more than a decade of making gaming videos, he no longer sees video games as a “valuable” way to spend his time.

The 36-year-old YouTube icon has shifted heavily into lifestyle content in recent years, sharing updates on his life in Japan with wife Marzia and their son, Björn. While he still dips into lighter titles like GeoGuessr or Poppy Playtime on occasion, the days of marathon gaming sessions are long gone.

Kjellberg explained in his Kjellberg Mail newsletter that fatherhood completely changed his relationship with time.

“Since becoming a dad, everything does get evaluated differently. Every hour has weight now in a way it didn’t before,” he wrote, as per PC Gamer. “If I really wanted to, there’d be plenty of time for me to play video games. I’ve just decided that, if time is limited, I’d rather be doing something else.”

YouTube: PewDiePie

PewDiePie says learning is more valuable to him than gaming

PewDiePie said he still squeezes in about 30 minutes of gaming here and there, but “logging dozens of hours” into a single title no longer fits his life. Part of that shift comes from realizing how much time he spent focused on YouTube and games instead of developing other skills.

“Since I’ve been so preoccupied with YouTube and gaming, I haven’t actually done much to build myself and grow,” he said. “Right now, I’m in a different mindset where I want to learn.”

He added that people often assume he has “infinite time” to pick up new skills when he showcases new projects in his videos, but said the truth is far simpler.

“…I don’t have infinite time. I just chose to spend it on what I think is more valuable, and seeing how people react like that validates that thought.”

Despite stepping back, he hasn’t abandoned gaming entirely. Earlier this year, PewDiePie backed the Stop Killing Games movement, calling for developers to stop shutting down online titles once official support ends.