Mizkif, also known as Matthew Rinaudo,
is an American
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
streamer and
YouTuber
A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...
. He is a founding member and co-owner of the gaming organization
One True King
One True King (OTK) known legally as OTK Media, Inc., is an American media organization based in Austin, Texas. The organization primarily focuses on online content creation and has previously competed professionally in ''World of Warcraft''.
Hi ...
.
He was named Best Just Chatting Streamer at the
2021 Streamer Awards
The 2021 Streamer Awards was the first edition of The Streamer Awards honoring the best in live streaming in 2021. The ceremony was held at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 12, 2022. Hosted by showrunner QTCinderella and fel ...
.
Early life
Mizkif was born on February 16, 1995, and grew up in
Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...
.
He is of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
descent.
Career
2016–2020: Early career
Mizkif began
streaming
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
in 2016. He streamed to a relatively small community until 2018, when he gained popularity for serving as a cameraman for fellow
streamer Paul "Ice Poseidon" Denino.
On April 30, 2019, Mizkif and fellow Twitch streamer and friend
Esfand
Esfand (, ) is the twelfth and final month of the Solar Hijri calendar, the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. Esfand has twenty-nine days normally, and thirty during leap years. It begins in February and ends in March of the Gregorian c ...
were banned in response to an incident that occurred at
PAX East
PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, and Melbourne. Previously, it was also held in San Anton ...
between them and Jenna "Meowri", a streamer and
cosplay
Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
er, where Mizkif and Esfand made an insensitive joke towards Meowri during a livestream. They were then unbanned seven days later.
2020–present: One True King and rise to popularity
In March 2020, Mizkif garnered attention after he made over $5,600 during a sleeping stream. In an interview with ''
Wired
Wired may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976
* ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993
* ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017
* "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street''
* "Wired ...
'', he stated, "Most streams can be very draining. This stream was the opposite. It was very easy. It was honestly a nice break from my normal routine of playing games all day."
Mizkif was the third-most-watched
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
streamer during the
2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
, trailing fellow streamers
Trainwreckstv
Tyler Faraz Niknam (born December 20, 1990), better known as Trainwreckstv or Trainwreck, is an American live streamer.
Early life
Niknam was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona. He went to Chaparral High School. He is of Iranian descent. He graduat ...
and
HasanAbi.
On October 11, 2020, Mizkif, along with fellow Twitch streamers
Asmongold
Zack Hoyt, better known as Asmongold, is an American YouTuber, content creator, online streamer, and right-wing political commentator. His content was primarily focused on ''World of Warcraft'', but he now covers politics as well as video g ...
, Esfand, Rich Campbell, and Tips Out, announced the launch of their new gaming organization,
One True King
One True King (OTK) known legally as OTK Media, Inc., is an American media organization based in Austin, Texas. The organization primarily focuses on online content creation and has previously competed professionally in ''World of Warcraft''.
Hi ...
.
Mizkif hit one million followers on Twitch on January 18, 2021.
In October 2021, Mizkif appeared on the infamous Twitch leaks, which revealed the top Twitch streamers earnings from August 2019 to October 2021. Mizkif was ranked 23rd on the list, with a reported payout of $2,086,548.21 during this time period.
On March 2022, Mizkif won Best Just Chatting Streamer at the
2021 Streamer Awards
The 2021 Streamer Awards was the first edition of The Streamer Awards honoring the best in live streaming in 2021. The ceremony was held at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 12, 2022. Hosted by showrunner QTCinderella and fel ...
. He was also nominated for Streamer of the Year at the same ceremony.
On September 19, 2022, Mizkif was accused by fellow Twitch streamer
Trainwreckstv
Tyler Faraz Niknam (born December 20, 1990), better known as Trainwreckstv or Trainwreck, is an American live streamer.
Early life
Niknam was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona. He went to Chaparral High School. He is of Iranian descent. He graduat ...
of downplaying and covering up an incident where his roommate and fellow streamer CrazySlick allegedly
sexually assaulted
Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexua ...
female streamer AdrianahLee. Later that day, streamer
Ice Poseidon
Paul Michael Joseph Denino (born September 29, 1994), better known as Ice Poseidon, is an American Internet personality, live streamer, and YouTuber. He was primarily known for streaming the video game ''Old School RuneScape'' and his IRL str ...
, whom Mizkif worked with during his early streaming career, published a set of comments made by Mizkif from 2018 to 2019, characterized as racist and
homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
. The following day, as a result of the aforementioned incidents, Mizkif was placed on leave by
One True King
One True King (OTK) known legally as OTK Media, Inc., is an American media organization based in Austin, Texas. The organization primarily focuses on online content creation and has previously competed professionally in ''World of Warcraft''.
Hi ...
. On December 31, 2022, One True King released a statement about the allegation of Mizkif covering up an incident of sexual assault. According to the Texas-based law firm Jackson Walker, the investigation's counsel did not find direct evidence that Mizkif attempted to minimize or cover up sexual assault, as alleged. His status as an OTK member was reinstated. Later on January 2, 2023, Mizkif uploaded a video apologizing for the "insensitive" and "tone-deaf" behavior he displayed in a broadcast from early October.
Mizkif was banned from Twitch on January 13, 2023, after watching banned streamer content named "Grossgore" during a livestream. He was eventually unbanned less than 24 hours later.
On February 7, 2023, Mizkif was banned on Twitch for violating the
DMCA
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a 1998 United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or ...
after he watched an American reality TV series called ''
MILF Manor'' on his Twitch channel. He was then unbanned a day later.
On May 28, 2023, Mizkif announced that he had joined
Rumble, a video hosting site, and would stream some of his content on the platform.
Other ventures
''Unrooted''
In 2021, Mizkif announced his intention to develop a platform game titled ''Unrooted''. Citing ''
Jump King
''Jump King'' is a 2019 Platformer, platform game developed by Nexile. ''Jump King'' was released on Steam (software), Steam for Microsoft Windows on May 3, 2019. It was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on June 9, 2020. I ...
'' as a primary influence, the game was showcased in the
platformer
A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...
category at the 2022 OTK Games Expo. ''Unrooted'' was officially released on
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
on August 2, 2024.
Iron Forge Gym
On January 17, 2024, Mizkif announced the opening of Iron Forge Gym, located in Austin, Texas, and co-owned by himself and Norwegian Twitch streamer Knut. The facility offers full-service weight lifting as well as
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
and wrestling classes.
''Just Chatting'' Podcast
On May 6, 2024, Mizkif announced the launch of "''Just Chatting'' Podcast", a weekly
podcast
A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
hosted by himself where he interviews various guests in a one-on-one setting.
Philanthropy
On December 21, 2019, Mizkif held a charity stream for St. David's Children's Hospital in Austin, Texas. His community raised over $5,000, which Mizkif would later use to purchase toys for the hospital's patients.
In June 2021, Mizkif, along with fellow streamer Ryan "Simply" Reeves,
rappelled down
600 Congress, a 32-story building in Austin, Texas, for a
Make-A-Wish fundraiser event titled "Over the Edge". They raised over $20,000 during their companion charity stream, funded by donations from viewers.
On February 10, 2023, Mizkif held a 26-hour charity stream with the goal of raising funds for the victims of the
2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes. Mizkif and his community managed to raise $80,799.
Personal life
Mizkif began dating fellow Twitch streamer and wildlife rehabilitator
Maya Higa
Maya Elaine Higa (born May 24, 1998) is an American Conservation movement, conservationist, falconry, falconer, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, Twitch streamer, and YouTuber. She is the founder of Alveus Sanctuary, a non-profit ...
in 2019. On September 14, 2021, Mizkif announced on Twitter that he and Higa were no longer in a relationship.
Mizkif has a heart condition known as
viral myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of the cardiac muscle. Myocarditis can progress to inflammatory cardiomyopathy when there is associated ventricular remodeling and cardiac dysfunction due to chronic inflammation. Symptoms can include shortness of bre ...
. He has also publicly spoken out about his struggles with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...
(ADHD).
Mizkif currently owns an
Audi R8
The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. Production ended in the first quarter of 2024.
The car is ...
, an exotic
sports car
A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...
. On January 3, 2022, Mizkif announced on Twitter that his Audi R8 has sustained $100,000 in damages after being hit by someone in a parking lot.
Mizkif currently resides in
Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, living in a house with fellow Twitch streamers Russel, Simply, and
Emiru
Emily Schunk (born January 3, 1998), known professionally as Emiru, is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and cosplayer. She is best known for her live-streams on Twitch, where she broadcasts video game content, most notably in ''League of L ...
.
Awards and nominations
Filmography
Music videos
Notes
References
{{reflist
1995 births
American entertainers
American people of Italian descent
American Twitch (service) streamers
Entertainers from Montclair, New Jersey
Living people
YouTubers from Austin, Texas
People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Streamer Award winners
YouTube streamers
YouTubers from New Jersey
American people with disabilities