Philza
{{Short description|English Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 1988)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox Twitch streamer
| name = Philza
| image = Ph1Lza logo.jpg
| caption = Watson's Twitch and YouTube icon
| birth_name = Phillip Watson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|03|01|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| origin = Newcastle upon Tyne, England
| nationality = British
| education =
| spouse = {{marriage|Kristin Rosales |2020}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
| website = {{URL|ph1lzamerch.com/}}
| pseudonym = Ph1LzA
Philza Minecraft{{Cite web |last=Richman |first=Olivia |date=2022-01-25 |title=Who is Philza Minecraft, the man behind Hardcore world? |url=https://win.gg/news/who-is-philza-minecraft-the-man-behind-hardcore-world/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=win.gg |language=en}}
| channel_name = Philza
| years_active = 2009–present
| games = {{flatlist|
}}
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Gaming
}}
| followers = 4.3 million
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
}}
| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| subbox = yes
| channel_handle = Ph1LzA
| years_active = 2006–present
| genre = Minecraft
| subscribers = 2.99 million
| views = 269.1 million
| silver_button = yes
| silver_year =
| gold_button = yes
| gold_year =
}}
| stats_update = 16 January 2025
}}
Phillip Watson (born 1 March 1988), known online as Philza or Ph1LzA, is an English Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He is known for his Minecraft hardcore series, where he plays the game on its most difficult setting, with permadeath (one life per game) and no respawns. Watson also formerly held the world record for the longest-running Minecraft hardcore world. As of May 2024, he had 4.3 million followers on Twitch.{{Cite web |title=Philza - Statistics |url=https://twitchtracker.com/philza/statistics |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=TwitchTracker |language=en}}
Early life
Phillip Watson{{Cite news |date=2019-04-29 |title=Minecraft player loses five-year-long game |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48091843 |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://clips.twitch.tv/AstuteDistinctAlligatorKappaRoss-FhKgAn-hQOApYxlo |title=spelling of Phillip |last=Watson |first=Phillip |type=Video |access-date=2024-05-14 |via=Twitch}} was born on 1 March 1988.{{Cite tweet |user=Ph1LzA|number=1366178667928440836|title=I don't about you, but I'm feeling 33🎵|date=1 March 2021}} He is from Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
He worked in a retail job for more than a decade while making content on Twitch and YouTube before quitting his job to become a full-time content creator.{{Cite news |author1=Wes Fenlon |date=2020-04-10 |title=Dying once in a videogame changed this streamer's life forever |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/dying-once-in-a-videogame-changed-this-streamers-life-forever/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}
Career
= 2006–2013: Early career =
Watson created his YouTube account in 2006 and started his channel by uploading Halo 2 and Skate 2 content.{{Cite web |title=Ph1LzA - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/@ph1lza |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=YouTube}} He created his Twitch (then Justin.tv) account "Philza" in 2009.{{Cite web |title=Philza - Streamer Overview & Stats |url=https://twitchtracker.com/philza |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=TwitchTracker |language=en}}
= 2014–2019: ''Minecraft'' hardcore series and initial growth =
In 2014, Watson started his Minecraft hardcore series, playing the game in its most difficult setting with increased mobs difficulty, permadeath (one life per game), and no respawns.{{Cite web |last=Duckworth |first=Joshua |date=2019-04-30 |title=5-Year Minecraft Run Ended By Zombie Baby |url=https://gamerant.com/minecraft-5-year-permadeath/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Game Rant |language=en}} The series garnered significant attention in April 2019 when Watson's then-world-record five-year hardcore run{{Cite news |author1=Samuel Horti |date=2019-04-28 |title=This streamer's five-year run in Minecraft's permadeath mode comes to an agonizing end |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/this-streamers-five-year-run-in-minecrafts-permadeath-mode-comes-to-an-agonizing-end/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} ended due to a surprise attack by a fully enchanted golden-armoured baby zombie, a spider, and a skeleton.{{Cite web |last=Good |first=Owen S. |date=2019-04-27 |title=Five-year run in Minecraft hardcore mode ends with a whimper |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/27/18520395/minecraft-hardcore-mode-record-five-years-philza-livestream-fail |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=2019-05-02 |title=Five-Year Minecraft Game Ends With Shameful Death |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/05/five-year-minecraft-game-ends-with-shameful-death/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502030847/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/05/five-year-minecraft-game-ends-with-shameful-death/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 May 2019 |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Connellan |first=Shannon |date=2019-04-29 |title=Dude's five-year 'Minecraft' game comes to an unfortunate end |url=https://mashable.com/article/minecraft-player-hardcore-run |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Mashable |language=en}} Watson has described this event as a turning point in his career, propelling him from an average viewership of 5–15 per stream to roughly 180 viewers on Twitch. The success of the series ultimately led him to leave his retail job and pursue content creation full-time.{{Cite news |author1=Wes Fenlon |date=2019-05-09 |title=How it feels to die in a permadeath game after five years |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-it-feels-to-die-in-a-permadeath-game-after-five-years/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}
On 26 July 2019, Watson was featured in the official Minecraft series Meet a Minecrafter.
= 2020''–''present: Continued growth =
In October 2021, Watson appeared in the Twitch leaks, which disclosed the top Twitch streamers' revenue from August 2019 to October 2021. Watson placed 47th on the list, with a reported payout of $1,364,215.61 for this time period.{{Cite web |last=Alex Tsiaoussidis |first=Max Miceli |date=2022-07-14 |title=Full list of all Twitch payouts (Twitch leaks) |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/full-list-of-all-twitch-payouts-twitch-leaks |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}
In 2023, Watson, along with fellow Twitch streamers and YouTubers TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot, Slimecicle, and Ranboo, started a new comedy group YouTube channel called The Sorry Boys. The channel mainly posted sketch comedy group vlog content.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-24 |title=TommyInnit, Slimecicle, Ranboo, Ph1LzA, and Wilbur Soot say "Sorry" with new comedy group |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/02/24/the-sorry-boys-comedy-channel-tommy-innit-slimecicle-ranboo-ph1lza-wilbur-soot-dream-smp-minecraft-server/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Tubefilter |language=en-US}} The group went on an indefinite hiatus in March 2024.{{Cite web |last=thesorryboys |date=30 March 2024 |title=Hello gang. Tommy here with some disappointing news. Due to current circumstances, Sorry will be going on a hiatus, which feels like the appropriate thing to do. In a few days one final video will be posted onto the Sorry channel. |url=https://x.com/thesorryboys/status/1774167218546266381 |access-date=18 March 2025 |website=Twitter}}
Philanthropy
In September 2021, Watson participated in a charity livestream fundraising event organized by fellow streamer and YouTuber Technoblade. The event featured a Minecraft game where Watson served as one of the "hunters" tasked with pursuing Technoblade. They managed to raise more than $324,000 for the Sarcoma Foundation of America.{{Cite web |last=Michael |first=Cale |date=2021-09-26 |title=Technoblade and the Minecraft community raise $323K for cancer research in under four hours |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/technoblade-and-the-minecraft-community-raise-323k-for-cancer-research-in-under-four-hours |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lai |first=Glenn |date=2021-09-28 |title='Minecraft' Youtuber raises over $300,000 for cancer research in under 4 hours |url=https://happymag.tv/technoblade-minecraft-cancer-fundraiser/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Happy Mag |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Watson met his wife, Kristin Rosales, an American, on Twitch and began dating. They were married on 12 March 2020, at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.{{Cite web |last=Karomo |first=Chege |date=2021-04-28 |title=How Philza and his wife Kristin met and the challenges they overcame before getting married |url=https://thenetline.com/all-about-philza-and-his-wife-kristin/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=TheNetline |language=en-US}}
Filmography
= Web =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year(s) ! scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" |Role !Episodes ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| 2019
|Meet a Minecrafter |Himself |1 | style="text-align:center" |{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzaStuZnHBc |title=Meet a Minecrafter: Ph1LzA |date=26 July 2019 |publisher=Minecraft |access-date=13 May 2024 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Kelsey |date=26 July 2019 |title=MEET A MINECRAFTER: A HARDCORE TRAGEDY |url=https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/meet-minecrafter--a-hardcore-tragedy |access-date=13 May 2024 |website=Minecraft}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|{{PAGENAMEBASE}}|u=Ph1Lza}}
- {{twitch|philza}}
Category:English Twitch (service) streamers
Category:21st-century English people
Category:English gaming YouTubers
Category:Gaming-related YouTube channels
Category:2006 establishments in England