There are countless Call of Duty YouTube channels that focus on gameplay and then there is Brad “Drift0r” Overby with 1.5 million subscribers. For this content creator, Call of Duty is a scientific equation waiting to be solved. Drift0r analyzes physics, ballistics, and strategy. His “In Depth” series is some of the most comprehensive COD content on the platform. 

We talked to Drift0r about what it takes to run one of the most popular COD-related channels in the world. You’ll also find some of his favorite videos embedded throughout the interview.

What made you want to start your YouTube channel?

I grew up in the Southern United States, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, mostly Mississippi and Texas. I started out in content creation at Machinima as a part-time director. 

When I was getting married, my wife wanted a larger wedding, and I saw that YouTube was an x = y relationship, so I started pumping out videos for money. I quit doing them but you get paid three months late and the money kept coming in. I gambled everything on gaming.

In the last ten years, I’ve been riding the wave of chaos trying to survive in this space.

Your videos are meticulously edited. Did you learn to do that on your own?

I went to college for engineering and learned video and audio editing on my own through trial and error. 

That makes sense. There’s a lot of math in your videos. Does your engineering background help in that regard?

I have a background in writing and English analysis and with engineering, I have a background in mathematical analysis. I use those fundamentals in the In Depth series.

Do you have any military background?

I have no military background. The closest I have is a friend in the military, although I read military stuff a lot, like the books they give people at Westpoint. More practical battle material. And I do live in Texas so I’ve shot the civilian analogs of a lot of the (COD) weapons.

Why Call of Duty? Have you ever thought about featuring any other games?

I mostly play shooters. I have no idea why. That’s just the games I like to play. I like the immersive aspect, seeing from the first person. I often play from fantasy, like what would I do if I was really there.

What do you play for fun?

I play more team fight tactics like League of Legends. I also play Hades, Cyberpunk 2077, and Final Fantasy. I like GTA-style games. I don’t like big narrative set pieces that go from narrative moment to narrative moment, like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us. I am a big sucker for VR stuff.

Were you surprised when you started getting noticed?

I didn’t feel it as much as other people did. It took many years. it was not an overnight explosion. I’m cognizant of how I fit into the current scene.

I don’t think I’m the world’s most successful COD channel and I view it as slightly intimidating. Being known for something is almost an anxiety. This shouldn’t happen. I'm a nerdy guy playing video games.

Are you worried it’s all going to go away?

It’s going to go away. That’s an objective truth. The question is when. The average burnout rate for content creators is three years. In three years most of them will go from obscurity to famous to burnout.

I’m going on year 10. My channel isn’t what it used to be. Part of that is for health reasons. Part of that is because I’m a dinosaur, but I’ve been here three times longer than other content creators. Eventually, the influencer train runs out. Very few people manage to stay for life.

You have a very distinctive voice. Where did that come from? Were you professionally trained?

I grew up in a pretty bad environment. I had a southern accent and the environment was so toxic I had to be really good at lying. So I tricked myself to be a robot – emotionless and expressionless so I could survive. It still took me three or four years to construct this voice.

What’s been the coolest moment of your career so far?

I had one really cool moment when I traveled to London for Gfinity, and I accidentally walked out on stage and everyone started cheering and I looked behind and realized they were cheering for me.

I also did a fan meetup in Singapore and over 100 people showed up. I almost got arrested over the rules of what qualifies as a political rally. 

One time my mother got lost she had a mental breakdown and she disappeared into the wind. She would call me and give me little bits and I put it on Twitter and a fan found her and brought her to a hotel.

I also lost my dog once and someone on Twitter found my dog.

What do you have planned for the future?

I have no idea. I’m at a point where I’m physically unhealthy and there’s more competition than ever. I’m looking at other options, maybe gaming commentary. I love commentary.

I’m also thinking about moving into a more political space but that’s scary because you tend to be rewarded for creating a certain type of content.

I have also considered joining the medical marijuana industry. I’m making it work for now but I know changes have to come in the future.