Daniel Hardcastle

{{Infobox YouTube personality

| name = Daniel Hardcastle

| image = Daniel Hardcastle 2019.jpg

| caption = Hardcastle at a book signing in 2019

| birth_name = Daniel John Hardcastle

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|3|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Essex, United Kingdom

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Author
YouTuber

}}

| relatives =

| spouse = {{Marriage|Rebecca Maughan|12 November 2016}}

| years_active = 2009–present

| genre = {{flatlist|

Let's Play
comedy

}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.nerdcubed.co.uk}}

| channel_handle = NerdCubed

| subscribers = 2.41 million

| views = 1.35 billion

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Emma Blackery|Hannah Hart| Stuart Ashen|InTheLittleWood|Mike Bithell|Dan Bull}}

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year = 2012

| gold_button = yes

| gold_year = 2013

| diamond_button =

| diamond_year =

| stats_update = 6 December 2024

| extra_information =

}}

Daniel John Hardcastle{{Cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/27niWafhFFXyZXY68MOasnUDaZs/appointments|title=Daniel John HARDCASTLE|website=Companies House|access-date=27 November 2020}} (born 23 March 1989), known online as Nerd³ or NerdCubed, is a British YouTuber, author and actor.{{Cite web |title=Daniel Hardcastle |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7765984/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}{{cite web|title=NERD CUBED LIMITED - Officers|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08142696/officers|access-date=22 September 2020|website=Companies House}}{{Cite web|title=Company Information - Nerd³|url=https://www.nerdcubed.co.uk/about/info|access-date=22 September 2020|website=Nerd³}} Created in 2011, his YouTube channel primarily consists of video game-related content. As of December 2024, it has approximately 2.41 million subscribers and 1.35 billion video views.{{Cite web |title=OfficialNerdCubed - About |url=https://www.youtube.com/c/NerdCubed/about |access-date=6 December 2024 |website=YouTube}} He is the author of The Sunday Times bestseller Fuck Yeah, Video Games: The Life and Extra Lives of a Professional Nerd, and The Paradox Paradox. In 2025 he became a writer for Doctor Who, writing an audio story in partnership with Big Finish Productions.

Career

=Online=

Hardcastle rose to prominence through a scripted, story-based webcomic created within Minecraft.{{cite web|last=Allen|first=David|title=Interview With Daniel Hardcastle, Author of 'Fuck Yeah, Video Games'|date=15 December 2020|website=thenerddaily.com|url=https://www.thenerddaily.com/daniel-hardcastle-interivew/|access-date=19 January 2021}} After creating his YouTube channel on 20 March 2011,{{cite web |title=OfficialNerdCubed - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialNerdCubed/about |access-date=22 September 2020 |website=YouTube}} Hardcastle initially uploaded a series of comedic vlogs before he uploaded his first let's play. His first let's play series, called Nerd³'s Minecraft Buildy Thing, ran from 27 August 2011 to 22 August 2012. After creating videos on a few indie games, Hardcastle uploaded his first Nerd³ Plays video on 7 January 2012. In 2012, Machinima sponsored him to create the series 13 Ways To Die.{{cite web|last=OfficialNerdCubed|date=January 26, 2019|title=Nerd³ Machinima Compilation - 13 Ways to Die, GTA IV, Pokémals and more!|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNbQcWzMh9c|access-date=22 September 2020|website=YouTube}}

In 2015, Hardcastle was nominated for a Golden Joystick Award for "online personality of the year".{{cite web|last1=Reynolds|first1=Matthew|date=1 September 2015|title=Golden Joystick Awards voting now open|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/golden-joystick-awards/a665921/golden-joystick-awards-2015-voting-now-open-to-the-public/#~pn3qttZh3tFAwi|access-date=2 October 2019|website=Digital Spy}} He has since amassed more than 2.44 million subscribers and 1.34 billion total views. On Red Nose Day 2019, Hardcastle raised over £16,000 for Comic Relief over the course of an 11-hour livestream.{{cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Sarah |title=NerdCubed's Stream raises over £16,000 for Comic Relief |url=https://teneightymagazine.com/2019/04/05/nerdcubeds-stream-raises-over-16000-for-comic-relief/ |website=TenEighty |publisher=TENEIGHTY DIGITAL LTD |access-date=16 January 2021 |date=5 April 2019}} In September 2019, Hardcastle's YouTube account was unverified for being not widely recognised outside the platform.{{cite web|author=O'Dell|first=Liam|date=19 September 2019|title=YouTube Reveals New Plans for Channel Verification|url=https://teneightymagazine.com/2019/09/19/youtube-reveals-new-plans-for-channel-verification|access-date=22 September 2020|work=TenEighty}}{{third-party inline|date=November 2020|Reason=Article references a self published source without further verification.}}

=Film=

In 2020, Hardcastle starred in the film Ashens and the Polybius Heist alongside his longtime collaborator Stuart Ashen, who also co-wrote the film.{{cite web |last1=Relentless Films |url=https://vimeo.com/ondemand/polybiusheist/?da |website=Ashens and the Polybius Heist |title=(Official Website) |date=6 November 2020 |access-date=16 January 2021}} Hardcastle himself also holds a small writing credit for the film, having written two jokes into it when Ashen gave him the script.{{cite web |title=OfficialNerdCubed - Nerd³ and Ashens... Just Chat for a Bit|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi9z3CszXCY|website=YouTube| date=23 May 2020 }} Hardcastle will also be starring in Ashen's film Turn Back.{{cite web |last1=Fortune |first1=Ed |title=24 Hours Left To Turn Back and Support British Horror |url=https://www.starburstmagazine.com/24-hours-left-to-turn-back-and-support-british-horror/ |website=STARBURST Magazine |access-date=25 November 2023 |date=9 November 2023}}

=Books=

Hardcastle began writing his first book, Fuck Yeah, Video Games: The Life & Extra Lives of a Professional Nerd, in 2017. On 4 June 2018, he started crowdfunding the book through the website Unbound. The book reached 100% of its target on the first day{{cite web|last=Cowdrey|first=Katherine|date=6 June 2018|title=Unbound crowdfunding record smashed by gamer Dan NerdCubed|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/dan-nerdcubeds-gaming-memoir-smashes-unbound-crowdfunding-record-800716|access-date=26 September 2019|website=The Bookseller}} and 1000% by 11 June. Reaching a total of 1903% of its initial goal, the book is the most successful crowdfunded book in the United Kingdom. The foreword of the book was written by founder of Double Fine and game director Tim Schafer, and another a chapter was contributed by YouTuber Stuart Ashen.{{cite web|last1=Fogarty|first1=Paul|date=18 September 2019|title=Book Review - Fuck Yeah, Video Games by Daniel Hardcastle aka. NerdCubed|url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/09/18/review-fuck-yeah-video-games-daniel-hardcastle-nerdcubed-book/|access-date=23 October 2019|work=Here Is The City}}{{YouTube|3pawkMUQP|"Nerd³'s Book Update - With BIG News!"}} The book was released on 19 September 2019 and was a The Sunday Times best seller.{{cite news|date=18 September 2019|title=The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — the UK's definitive book sales chart|work=The Sunday Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/sunday-times-bestsellers-list-book-sales-chart-2023-wtf0fg8v7|access-date=22 September 2020}}

On 26 September 2019, crowdfunding began for Hardcastle's second book, The Paradox Paradox, a science fiction novel which he described as "a bit Star Trek, a bit Doctor Who, and a bit fucked up."{{cite web |title=The Paradox Paradox |url=https://unbound.com/books/paradox/ |website=Unbound |access-date=2 October 2019 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=The Paradox Paradox announcement|url=https://www.influencerupdate.biz/news/68379/daniel-hardcastle-announces-second-book-project-is-100-funded-in-20-minutes/ |website=InfluencerUpdate |date=26 September 2019 |access-date=5 October 2019 |language=en}} The book achieved its funding goal within 20 minutes.{{cite tweet |user=unbounders |number= 1177242494695870465|date=26 September 2019|title=AND THERE IT GOES. 100% in 20 minutes!!!! @dannerdcubed's #TheParadoxParadox is happening! }} The eBook was released early for backers on 15 December 2024 as a thank you for waiting five years for the story.{{Cite web |title=The Paradox Paradox Release Date Announcement! |url=https://unbound.com/author-updates/the-paradox-paradox-release-date-announcement |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=unbound.com}} The physical hard cover will be released on 17 April 2025.{{Cite web |title=The Paradox Paradox by Daniel Hardcastle |url=https://unbound.com/books/paradox#AboutSectionDesktop |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=unbound.com}}

=Audio Stories=

On 28 February 2025, Hardcastle announced that he had written a short Doctor Who story for Volume 13 of the Big Finish Short Trips.{{cite web|last=OfficialNerdCubed|date=February 28, 2025|title=Nerd³'s BIGGEST EVER Announcement|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXQF8ttshDc|access-date=28 February 2025|website=YouTube}} Hardcastle's story, 'Rise of the Eukaryans', which features the Eleventh Doctor and is read by Laura Aikman, is one of six short stories in Short Trips Volume 13: Tales from the Vortex releasing on 30 April 2025.{{cite web|last=Big Finish|date=February 28, 2025|title=13. Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume 13: Tales from the Vortex|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-short-trips-volume-13-tales-from-the-vortex-2999|access-date=28 February 2025|website=Big Finish}}

Personal life

Hardcastle is married to Rebecca Maughan,{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Mr_Rebecca/status/797431141045334016|title=Hello, @DanNerdCubed and I did a thing.|first=Rebecca|last=Maughan|access-date=2019-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507225503/https://twitter.com/Mr_Rebecca/status/797431141045334016|archive-date=2019-05-07|url-status=live}} an artist who illustrated Fuck Yeah, Video Games.

Hardcastle's father, Steve "Dad³" Hardcastle, with whom he has regularly collaborated, started a YouTube channel in 2013; it has accumulated more than 300,000 subscribers and 23 million total views.{{cite web |title=About OfficialDadCubed |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialDadCubed/about |website=YouTube |access-date=2 October 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030131104/https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialDadCubed/about |archive-date=30 October 2015 |url-status=live }} He retired from making videos on 5 February 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBf4CBXf9R0|title = The Week of Dad³ The Finale 18th December 2023| website=YouTube | date=5 February 2024 |access-date = 5 February 2024}}

Hardcastle studied astrophysics at the University of Leicester, but dropped out after the first year.{{cite AV media|title=Nerd³ Plays... Universe Sandbox |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7j75lThw-M |time=1:39|date=8 June 2012|author=OfficialNerdCubed|access-date=1 January 2021 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905151542/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7j75lThw-M&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1&bpctr=9999999999 |archive-date=5 September 2019 |url-status=live }}{{Cite book|last=Hardcastle, Daniel|title=Fuck Yeah, Video Games: The Life and Extra Lives of a Professional Nerd|date=September 2019|isbn=978-1-78352-787-8|location=London|oclc=1080999469}}

Bibliography

= Fiction =

{{Cite book |last=Hardcastle |first=Daniel |title=The Paradox Paradox |publisher=Unbound |year=2025 |isbn=9781800183520}}

= Nonfiction =

{{Cite book |last=Hardcastle |first=Daniel |title=Fuck Yeah, Video Games: The Life and Extra Lives of a Professional Nerd |publisher=Unbound |year=2019 |isbn=9781783527878}}