Popular YouTuber and streamer Ludwig and a few other streamers played Smash or Pass with all 898 Pokémon after being inspired by Markiplier.
Ludwig, a well-known YouTuber and streamer, and a group of other streamers recently played Smash or Pass with all 898 Pokémon. Last year, the content creator achieved an incredible feat when he became Twitch’s most-subscribed streamer, gaining a total of 283,066 subscribers over the course of a month-long subathon. Ludwig earned over $1.4 million during the Twitch subathon, but he didn’t keep all of it, donating a large portion of it to charity. In addition, he recently signed an exclusive deal with YouTube Gaming, effectively deactivating his Twitch channel.
While Smash or Pass isn’t a new game and has been played or featured by people on multiple platforms such as TikTok with various real or fictional characters, another hugely popular YouTube content creator recently created their own Pokémon-themed version of it. In a recently published video, Markiplier, who is one of YouTube’s biggest stars and was ranked third among the platform’s highest-paid creators last year, played the unique Smash or Pass game with all 898 Pokémon. Given Markiplier’s popularity, and the fact that he has his own Markiplier doll in Subnautica, it’s not surprising that Pokémon Smash or Pass has become its own trend.
Ludwig’s Pokémon Smash or Pass video also features Alexandra and Andrea Botez, QTCinderella, Myth, and other well-known steamers. Ludwig mentions Markiplier’s video as the source of inspiration for his own at the start of the video. While Ludwig went over the entire list of 898 Pokémon, his friends were only in one or two sections of the video, which were divided into the various Pokémon generations. Ludwig had chosen Smash for 41 different Pokémon by the end of the game, while his friends had a total of 133.
Apart from the fact that it was released a few days before Valentine’s Day, it’s unclear what inspired Markiplier’s video.
It’s possible, however, that the recent release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus and its 242 Pokémon, which reintroduced the franchise to many people’s minds, was a factor. On January 28, the latest installment in the Pokémon franchise was released, and it sold 6.5 million copies in its first week.
While Pokémon Smash or Pass is an unusual version of the game, it is unquestionably a funnier take on it, as both Markiplier and Ludwig demonstrate in their videos. It wouldn’t surprise us if more content creators follow suit and make their own Pokémon Smash or Pass videos or come up with their own original version of the hilarious game.