# TotalBiscuit TotalBiscuit, The Cynical Brit was the online alias of British video game critic John Bain, who ran one of YouTube's loudest PC gaming channels from 2006 until his death in 2018. His booming voice and 'WTF is...' first impressions series shaped how a generation of viewers approached PC game reviews, and his very public fights with publishers like Sega and FUN Creative helped set the tone for creator-versus-publisher copyright disputes on YouTube. ## Origin John Bain started building his audience in 2005 with a World of Warcraft themed radio show that ran for five years[3]. On July 27th, 2006, he launched a YouTube channel under the name TotalHalibut, which he later renamed to TotalBiscuit; the very first upload featured World of Warcraft gameplay and has since been set to private[3]. The channel stayed a side project until 2010, when Bain lost his job at a financial advisory firm and pivoted full time to posting Cataclysm expansion footage and other gameplay videos[1]. Shortly after going full time, Bain joined The Game Station network (later rebranded as Polaris)[3]. His first viral hits were collaborations: a Magicka Let's Play with the Yogscast whose first episode pulled over two million views, and a Terraria series with Jesse Cox that nearly cracked a million on its opening episode[3]. - **Platform:** YouTube - **Creator:** John Bain - **Date:** 2006 ## Overview TotalBiscuit was the online handle of John Bain, a British commentator whose dry, no-nonsense delivery and willingness to roast bad PC games made him one of YouTube's most recognizable gaming voices in the early 2010s[3]. His flagship format, 'WTF is...', was a long-form first impressions series where Bain played twenty to forty minutes of a new PC title while narrating his reactions in real time, often picking apart menus, options screens, and framerate performance before most reviewers had finished the tutorial[4]. Fans learned to listen for his signature complaints about missing graphics settings and poor keybinding support. Beyond the WTF is format, Bain cast professional Starcraft II matches, hosted the SHOUTcraft Invitational tournaments, and owned the Axiom eSports team that fielded top Korean players[3]. His Urban Dictionary entries from his peak describe him simply as 'a British e-sport commentator mainly focusing on Starcraft 2 and WoW' who ran 'a very good series of first impression videos of new games'[2]. The 'Cynical Brit' persona, a boomy voice packaged with blunt opinions, is still what viewers remember. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is TotalBiscuit? TotalBiscuit, The Cynical Brit was the online handle of British video game commentator John Bain, best known for his YouTube reviews and Starcraft II casting[3]. ### Where did TotalBiscuit come from? Bain launched the TotalHalibut YouTube channel on July 27, 2006 and later renamed it TotalBiscuit; the first upload featured World of Warcraft gameplay[3]. ### What does TotalBiscuit mean? It was simply Bain's handle, paired with the tagline 'The Cynical Brit' to signal his blunt, critical commentary style on PC games[2]. ### How do you use TotalBiscuit? The name mostly refers to the creator himself and his 'WTF is...' first impressions format, which other reviewers often imitated when breaking down new PC releases[4]. ### Is TotalBiscuit still popular? Bain died on May 24, 2018 from bowel cancer, but his back catalogue of WTF is... videos and Starcraft casts is still widely watched[1]. ## References 1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIX8Kmv-zZs]() 2. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Totalbiscuit]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/totalbiscuit]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed_cNHqAsYw]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_78J6FEouM]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Rv-s-7rNk]() 7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k84i3Op-LQI]() 8. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMwF3gaqb2Q]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/totalbiscuit Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library