VanossGaming
Evan Fong (born May 31, 1992), known online as VanossGaming (or simply Vanoss), is a Canadian YouTuber and musician. As one of the most popular gaming personalities on YouTube, his videography consists of montage-style videos of him and other creators playing various video games, such as Grand Theft Auto V, Garry’s Mod, and various titles from the Call of Duty franchise. In 2011, Fong registered his gaming channel “VanossGaming” before signing with multi-channel network Machinima early in his career.
Fong was regularly the most viewed Machinima channel during his time with the network; “VanossGaming” was also one of the most subscribed channels on YouTube during the 2010s. Fong has since developed into a central figure in the video game commentary subculture.
Aside from YouTube, Fong produces music and performs as a DJ (formerly under the name Rynx), specializing in electric dance music (EDM), downtempo and indie electronic genres. Additionally, he has starred in various animated shows including Paranormal Action Squad and Alpha Betas. Fong co-founded the record label and management company Avant Garden Records and the entertainment company 3Blackdot; in 2015, he helped produce 3Blackdot’s first video game, Dead Realm. He has also featured in other media, spanning from a mobile game partnership series to music produced by
Fong was nominated for “Trending Gamer” in 2014 at The Game Awards and was nominated as the best in “Gaming” at the 8th and 12th Shorty Awards. During the 2010s, he was often among the highest paid gaming YouTubers on the platform and in 2017, was recognized as one of the top gaming influencers. As of March 26, 2025, his gaming YouTube channel has over 25.9 million subscribers and 16.4 billion views.
Early life
Fong was born on May 31, 1992 and raised in Toronto, Ontario; he is of Korean and Chinese descent. When Fong was young, he played video games “here and there”, which included children’s adventure and puzzle titles such as Freddi Fish and Pajama Sam. Later in his youth, he played Duke Nukem 3D and said it was the first “violent game” he played; Fong frequently used cheat codes such as ‘God-mode’ or ‘unlimited ammo’ to make the game more enjoyable.
He graduated from Richmond Hill High School and studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania, but he later dropped out in his second year to focus on his YouTube channel as a full-time commitment.He said that his parents were initially concerned that he was neglecting his studies in favor of producing content for his YouTube channel, admitting that “Even though there’s a lot of potential for somebody starting a YouTube channel it’s obviously not a guaranteed path.
Fong used to play ice hockey. He started when he was six and played it competitively for many years before he started his YouTube channel. Fong spent several years playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League where he played for four different teams: Villanova Knights (2009–2010), Vaughan Vipers (2010–2011), Dixie Beehives (2011) and Aurora Tigers (2011–2012). As a forward, he played 127 games, scoring 24 goals, whilst racking up 49 assists, and 73 points. Fong revealed that whilst playing at youth level, he played against future National Hockey League (NHL) players Tyler Seguin and Jeff Skinner, who played in the Greater Toronto Hockey League with the Toronto Nationals.
YouTube channel
Fong created the VanossGaming channel on YouTube on September 15, 2011. The name “Vanoss” comes from VANOS, a variable valve timing system produced by German automobile company BMW; Fong’s father used the alias “vanoss62” on a PlayStation 3, which his son later adopted for his own. Fong began to receive mainstream media attention as his channel approached 11 million subscribers in 2015.
Speaking at the time, he suggested that his success could be credited to the fact that “Viewers really like the authentic type of content from regular people just playing games because they can relate to that”.Fong’s channel is said to capitalize from the “subculture of young people [that] are tuning out of TV” and preferring online content, specifically video game commentary.
Fong signed with the multi-channel network (MCN) Machinima early in his career and was their most viewed channel in December 2015. On April 30, 2015, Fong announced that he had signed with Jetpak (stylized as JETPAK), an MCN founded by former YouTubers Adam Montoya and Tom Cassell, along with several former Machinima employees. Fong released a new logo for the VanossGaming brand in November 2015; the “owl themed” design is based on his Grand Theft Auto Online avatar, which is also available to play as on Watch Dogs: Legion.
Fong signed with the multi-channel network (MCN) Machinima early in his career and was their most viewed channel in December 2015. On April 30, 2015, Fong announced that he had signed with Jetpak (stylized as JETPAK), an MCN founded by former YouTubers Adam Montoya and Tom Cassell, along with several former Machinima employees. Fong released a new logo for the VanossGaming brand in November 2015; the “owl themed” design is based on his Grand Theft Auto Online avatar, which is also available to play as on Watch Dogs: Legion.
Fong’s content has earned him multiple award nominations, including two Shorty Awards for Tech and Innovation in the Gaming category, losing out to Rooster Teeth’s Let’s Play and NoisyButters in 2016 and 2020 respectively. On March 6, 2015, he appeared on the “YouTube Gaming Evolution” panel at PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts, alongside panelists W1LDC4T43, Lui Calibre, Mini Ladd, TheBajanCanadian and JeromeASF. He has been recognized as a central figure in the subculture of video game commentary, with publications attributing his massive popularity to his sense of authenticity.
Video content and analysis
The majority of VanossGaming videos take the form of montages or compilations, featuring various clips from a game session and usually including other video game commentators. A typical Vanoss video features him and a group of friends chatting, laughing, and making jokes over gameplay from popular titles such as Grand Theft Auto V or Call of Duty: World at War.
Among a variety of content, Fong posts Garry’s Mod exploit videos, often exploring and performing in different landscapes on user-created content servers. Fong never shows his face, but collaborates with other players and creators.
His presence on the social platform is part of a sophisticated yet clear “food chain”; he is an established gaming YouTuber whose content influences beginner creators by providing genre and formatting ideas, contributing to the growth of YouTuber content branches. Themes of established creators such as Fong, PewDiePie, and KSI are passed along this “food chain” as examples of success, especially in formats and genres involving humor sketches, parodies, highlights, and compilations.
Fong’s content mainly consists of fast, funny moment-style videos that compile the highlights of gaming sessions with his friends while removing what he considers downtime or uninteresting parts. He prefers this format over traditional “let’s play” videos because he believes young audiences have short attention spans and busy lives, making quick, funny, and consistently exciting videos more engaging. Due to this format, he often spends nearly an entire day searching, compiling, and editing to produce what he considers a high-quality video, and larger projects can take up to a week to complete.
Vanoss Crew
Fong often plays games with friends and collaborators, many of which feature frequently in his content. The “Vanoss Crew” have developed into some of the most recognizable gaming YouTubers on the platform, with the group collaborating on a selection of multiplayer games and producing merchandise that feature the group’s logos and catchphrases. YouTubers that have appeared regularly in Fong’s videos include Nogla, Mini Ladd, Terroriser, H2ODelirious, I AM WILDCAT, BasicallyIDoWrk, Moo, and Fourzer0seven.
Music career
Fong co-founded the Los Angeles–based record label and management company Avant Garden Records with Brittany Crawford and Azad Naficy. Under the pseudonym Rynx, he joined Avant Garden as an artist specializing in downtempo, electronic dance music (EDM), and indie electronic genres. He released his first song on August 25, 2017, a remix of “U-Rite” by the hip-hop group They. He later released his debut single “Want You,” featuring Miranda Glory, on December 12.
During 2018, Rynx released a selection of remixes including reworks of the Alison Wonderland song “Cry” and Gallant’s “Doesn’t Matter.” In July, Fong released his second single “I’m Alright” featuring vocalist Jimi Ono; the electronic single was released with a nightclub-school–themed music video. The following year, Rynx produced five more singles, including “Hold On” featuring They singer Drew Love, “Read My Mind” featuring Mainland (with an accompanying acoustic version), “Club Poor” featuring Tiny Meat Gang, and “All for You” featuring Kiesza.
Rynx was gaining a reputation as an artist who could blend cutting-edge hip-hop elements with lucid electronic production to create something new and distinctive, according to Robin Murray from the British music magazine Clash. Fong released his debut studio album In Pieces on October 25, 2019, with a follow-up remix version on July 17, 2020.
Selected videography
| # | Video name | Views (mil.) | Upload date | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Gmod Sandbox – The Toys Escape! (Garry’s Mod Skits & Funny Moments)” | 66.6 | January 16, 2015 | [1] |
| 2 | “Gmod Deathrun – Spongebob Parody Map! (Garry’s Mod Sandbox Funny Moments)” | 52.9 | April 11, 2015 | [2] |
| 3 | “Gmod Shopping Mall – Movie Theater, Apple Store, The Gun Store (Garry’s Mod Funny Moments)” | 52.8 | May 21, 2014 | [3] |
| 4 | “Gmod: Five Minutes at Freddy’s (Garry’s Mod Sandbox Funny Moments)” | 51.9 | September 10, 2014 | [4] |
| 5 | “Vanoss Gaming Funny Moments – Best Moments of 2014 (Gmod, GTA 5, Skate 3, & More!)” | 51.5 | January 3, 2015 | [5] |
| 6 | “Gmod Sandbox Funny Moments – Sniper Battle, Ninja Vanish, C4 Cocoon! (Garry’s Mod)” | 49.1 | August 28, 2014 | [6] |
| 7 | “GTA 5 Online Funny Moments – Bullet Proof Helmet, Trolling Ohm, ATV Fun!” | 48.5 | January 28, 2015 | [7] |
| 8 | “Five Nights At Freddy’s Vs. Minecraft! (Left 4 Dead 2 Funny Moments and Mods)” | 46.9 | August 20, 2015 | [8] |
| 9 | “Gmod Adventure Map – 6 Challenges (Garry’s Mod Sandbox Funny Moments)” | 46.0 | June 28, 2014 | [9] |
| 10 | “Gmod Deathrun Funny Moments – Minecraft Edition! (Knowledge)” | 44.1 | October 29, 2015 | [10] |
Discography
Studio albums
| Album | Details |
|---|---|
| In Pieces By Rynx | Released: 25 October 2019 Labels: Avant Garden, IslandFormats: digital download |
| In Pieces (The Remixes) By Rynx | Released: 17 July 2020 Labels: Avant Garden, IslandFormats: digital download |
Awards and nominations
See also
- List of YouTubers
- List of Chinese Canadians
- List of Korean Canadians
- List of people from Toronto
- List of people from Ontario
- Internet in Canada
- List of Island Records artists
