Background and career
Félix Lengyel (French pronunciation: [feliks lɑ̃ʒɛl]; born November 12, 1995), better known as xQc (formerly xQcOW), is a Canadian online streamer, influencer, Youtuber, and former professional Overwatch player.
While he is best known for his streaming career, Lengyel initially gained recognition as a professional Overwatch player. His esports career began in 2016, during which he also started streaming regularly. He joined Dallas Fuel, a team competing in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, in late 2017. However, his time with Dallas Fuel was marred by controversy, resulting in repeated suspensions and ultimately his release from the team midway through the season. Lengyel represented Team Canada in the Overwatch World Cup from 2017 to 2019.
Following his departure from competitive Overwatch, Lengyel shifted his focus to a full-time streaming career on Twitch. During this period, he signed with several esports organizations, such as Sentinels and Luminosity Gaming, as a content creator. Throughout his streaming career, Lengyel has faced several bans and suspensions on Twitch for violating platform guidelines. These incidents involved showing explicit content, making offensive remarks, and engaging in stream sniping.
Despite these controversies, Lengyel maintained a large and dedicated fanbase, consistently attracting high viewership numbers. He was the most-watched streamer on Twitch for three consecutive years, from 2020 to 2022. In June 2023, Lengyel signed a two-year, non-exclusive $100 million deal to stream on Kick.
After finishing high school, Lengyel enrolled in a CEGEP, studying business administration until dropping out in his second year after feeling "directionless". At the age of 19, Lengyel subsequently began streaming on the platform Twitch, where he initially played League of Legends (LoL) under the pseudonym xQcLoL. The name xQc was derived from the last letter of his first name, x, combined with the abbreviation for his home province of Quebec, Canada; QC. As his streaming career progressed, Lengyel gained recognition and prominence primarily through his involvement with Overwatch, a video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Consequently, he adjusted his alias to xQcOW to reflect his association with Overwatch (OW).
How xQc makes money
In June 2023, Lengyel signed a two-year, non-exclusive $100 million deal to stream on Kick. The leak revealed that he was the highest-paid individual streamer, earning over $8 million since 2019. The deal was valued at $70 million over two years, established a non-exclusive partnership between Lengyel and Kick.
