If you love watching random things blow up and shooting at zombie targets, then you’ve definitely heard of FPSRussia. FPS Russia was one of the most popular channels on YouTube that came out in 2010. Every single video posted gained millions of views. By 2011, the channel had 1 million subscribers, and in 2016, the channel stopped posting videos completely.
What Really Happened to the Channel?
The first major problem happened in 2013 when the weapon supplier and firearm expert, Keith Ratliff was found brutally shot in his gun store. This case has spiked countless conspiracy theories and has yet to be solved. Many viewers suggested the channel hasn’t been the same since.
However, this was not the only thing that happened for the channel. Before the shooting, more than 40 agents from the ATF (law enforcement agency) raided Kyle Myer’s home. Kyle Myers, also known as Dmitri Potapoff, is the one who created the channel FPS Russia. The police had been watching him for some time since he was famous for blowing up things in his backyard. At the time, the officers found nothing and didn’t press any charges.
FPS Russia managed to get back on its feet and grew even more, achieving 6 million subscribers.
But, the fame was short-lived, since they abruptly stopped creating content in 2016. The following year, Myers’ home was raided yet again, but this time, the raid was successful in locating 50 different weapons, plenty of hash oil, and restricted substances. He was then charged with possession of illegal firearms and restricted substances. All the weapons have been confiscated, and Myers plead guilty. He was released shortly after but hasn’t announced any plans to revive FPS Russia.
What Happened to Myers After the Arrest?
Myers no longer created content for FPS Russia, but, he is still making videos for Painkiller Already. On the show, he discusses with a couple of other hosts about the latest events in the world by adding little comedic twists here and there.
Why Was FPS Russia so Popular?
From golden AK-47 to a .50 BMG rifle, and a troop carrier, you could see it all. It was such a popular channel that it quickly took the interest of many. The primary comedic aspect to the channel was Myers, who played the role of a crazy Russian with a strong accent wielding a gun and blowing things up.
He showed his skills by shooting at targets that spiked plenty of interest like a photo of Justin Bieber. He always wore different types of equipment, from various weapons to a troop carrier, and even an anti-aircraft cannon.
Later, he compared guns used in games, TV Shows, and movies to those in real life, portraying the reality of the weapons to all his followers. Because of how successful FPS Russia turned out to be, Myers opened up another channel called MoreFPSRussia. In 2011, he worked with Epic Meal Time and achieved more than 8 million views.
Then in 2012, he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for a game he planned to publish titled “FPS Russia: The Game.” While in 2014, the channel managed to reach no.78 on the Top 100 most popular channels on YouTube listed on the NewMediaRockStars.