The YouTuber Cory Devante Williams, better known as CoryxKenshin, “The Shogun”, “The Ankle Breaker”, made a promise to his viewers to upload 100 videos in 2025. The question remains, did he complete his goal?
CoryxKenshin has been making videos on YouTube since 2009, when he was still in high school. Now, he’s 32, and he has 23.8 million subscribers. Some of his famous gaming series include “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” “Resident Evil,” and “Little Nightmares,” all of which he’s played over the years, building a loyal fanbase called the “Samurai.” His humor, charm, and genuine personality have helped him stand out in a sea of gaming YouTubers. What makes Cory unique is both his variety of content and his identity as a very open, funny, and kind person. When asked what their favorite quality is about Cory, Asphodel Speight, a student at Enloe, says, “His humor, absolutely.”
One of the major challenges negating Cory’s goal was his new manga, “Monsters We Make.” Cory returned from an almost two-year-long break on Dec 13, 2024, with a video titled “Hey…long time no see.” The video was an animated trailer for his then-upcoming manga that brought him back to YouTube. A few comments from the video spoke of how happy they were to see Cory again: “This feels like Christmas morning,” one viewer says. Another post reads, “The balance has been restored. Welcome back, Cory!”
Additionally, CoryxKenshin’s history of taking extensive breaks from YouTube could have also affected his ability to upload 100 videos by the end of 2025. Cory often prioritizes his mental health, stepping away from the platform when he feels overwhelmed or burned out. While some of his viewers criticize his inconsistency, a lot of his long-time fans respect his need to step back; they know that after a few months, he’ll upload a burst of good, high-quality videos. Additionally, the prospect of a YouTuber using their money and time to pursue goals outside of Youtube is inspiring to some.“You can sort of be seen as just a YouTuber. Just this, or just that, they don’t really go beyond that sort of thing,” says Thomas Johnson, a sophomore at Enloe. “I also think that it’s good for his mental health. It’s good to rejuvenate him.”
CoryxKenshin’s interactions with his fanbase are rarer to see nowadays. Even when the YouTuber disappears off the map for months (or years), the majority of his subscribers stay loyal, and he’s gained approximately 3 million subscribers during his 17-month hiatus. That kind of growth brought his follower count from 20 to now nearing 24 million! Most creators would lose relevance and support with such long and common absences, but Cory’s audience stays patient. “I think what makes him unique,” says Thomas, “is the way he interacts with his community, [and how] he goes beyond YouTube.”
After over 15 years on YouTube, it’s clear that CoryxKenshin knows how to run his platform. Cory knows what his fans want to see, and he knows how he wants to do it. His creativity and the genuine fun he has with his job all contribute to his motivation to continue making videos. He’s touched on his financial state multiple times in more recent videos, explaining to his audience that he could retire now at 33 and live comfortably for the foreseeable future. He’s stated there are two things that keep him on YouTube; neither of which include money. It’s his fans and his love for what he does.
However, uploading 100 videos in one year would have required about 2 videos a week on average, a statistic that would make all “Samurai” laugh. The combination of Cory’s breaks and his busy manga schedule was his biggest roadblock in the path to his goal. The most meaningful part about this was his effort. The influx of videos has also helped him gain subscribers: “I think the main positive would probably be reviving his community, because with new content more people can come,” Thomas says.
Sadly, as 2026 rounded the corner, Cory fell short by only 33 videos, the total number of uploads making it to a total of 67. Even though he did not reach the number of videos he was aiming for, the impact on his channel was irreversible. It was always about more than the videos themselves; the intention behind his bulk in uploading was to prove he could listen and appreciate his fan base for being the ones who got him to where he is now.
So, did CoryxKenshin upload 100 videos in 2025? Not quite. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is absolutely certain: the “Samurai” will always be waiting, watching, and supporting him every step of the way. As the Shogun himself says, “Samurai Slice that like button!”
