Yesterday marked a historic moment, though you might not have been aware of it. Dream, the enigmatic Minecraft content creator, has finally unveiled his face. This revelation comes after a prior announcement in late September, which elicited reactions from his closest online friends who were fortunate enough to see him without his characteristic smiley face.

If you’re not a Minecraft player or under the age of 40, the headlines about Dream’s face reveal may have seemed like a nonsensical jumble of words. How can a dream have a face? Did the creator of Minecraft have a dream that exposed his face? It’s confusing, I know. So, who exactly is Dream and why is this such a big deal? Allow me to break it down for you.

What Does Dream Do?

Dream, whose real name is Clay, is a 23-year-old content creator who specializes in Minecraft. This sandbox game boasts an enormous online community, and the most popular content creators are like royalty among YouTubers. If you peruse Dream’s YouTube channel, you’ll get a sense of his content and unique style.

What’s the Story Behind His Face?

Up until this week, Dream had concealed his face behind a smiley face emblem. This symbol became iconic in his branding, inspiring fan art and adding an air of mystery to his personality. It established his distinctive appearance, setting him apart from other Minecraft content creators.

Dream’s Vast Online Following, Comparable to Major Celebrities

Thanks to his engaging personality, air of mystique, and gaming prowess, Dream has amassed a colossal following across social media and YouTube in the three years since he began creating content. Few celebrities can match his massive fanbase.

Dream currently boasts 30.6 million YouTube subscribers—and the number is still growing (up from 30.4 million last night). While he may not be on the same level as PewDiePie (111 million) or Mr. Beast (105 million and skyrocketing), Dream’s numbers rival those of major celebrities like Taylor Swift (47.5 million) and Billie Eilish (46.7 million). He even surpasses other popular gaming YouTubers like Ninja (23.8 million) and falls just shy of Markiplier (33.7 million).

The Significance of the Face Reveal

Approximately 20 million people have already watched the video of Dream’s face reveal (featured below). That’s roughly the population of New York State within the last 17 hours (as of this writing), and the numbers will only continue to grow. Just imagine having 20 million individuals eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of your face.

“This is weird,” Clay admits at the start of the video. It’s something I can only imagine.

Why Reveal His Face Now?

“A lot of you are probably wondering, ‘Why now?'” Clay addresses this question in the video below. The answer is quite adorable. His best friend and fellow YouTuber, GeorgeNotFound, has finally obtained a visa to live and work in the US. The two have plans to collaborate on videos that include Clay’s actual face, though he intends to maintain the iconic smiley face for his Minecraft streams.

“Hi, I’m Dream, and this is what I look like. After years of being completely faceless online, I finally decided to do a face reveal. GeorgeNotFound will be uploading a video of us meeting for the first time ever soon, so make sure to be ready for that,” reads the video caption.

The Internet’s Mixed Reactions

As with any major internet event, the response to Dream’s face reveal has been mixed. Naturally, numerous fans are thrilled to be part of this milestone and to see the face of their beloved content creator for the first time. Nevertheless, not everyone has been kind.

Twitch streamers who simply broadcasted their anticipation of Dream’s face reveal broke viewership records. It’s important to note that the 20 million views on Dream’s video are just a fraction of the equation, as many viewers tuned in to watch other content creators co-stream the “event” or read articles like this one.

Of course, the reveal has also sparked a surge of fan art, drawing significant attention. Dream continues to share pictures of himself with his millions of Twitter followers.

But I Still Don’t Understand…

Don’t worry if you’re still scratching your head. You’re not supposed to get it entirely. This phenomenon signifies a generational gap. As someone who has covered video games for over a decade, even I struggle to grasp it. South Park satirized this very issue nearly ten years ago.

Fundamentally, Dream creates videos for young people who adore watching gameplay of a game where you gather wood by punching trees (apologies for the South Park reference). He has built a mysterious persona around himself that has captivated millions of fans for years.

Now that we’ve seen his face, it turns out he looks… perfectly normal. He seems like a nice kid. Will we ever fully comprehend his success? Probably not—and that’s perfectly okay.