Gronkh

Erik Range, known professionally as Gronkh, is a German YouTuber, video game developer, computer and video game journalist, and entrepreneur born on April 10, 1977. He is recognized as a leading representative of the Let's Play video content genre in Germany and stands among the most popular content creators in the country.

Range was born in Braunschweig, Germany, to a German father and a Russian mother. He first gained recognition within the computer gaming industry by authoring a guide for Bard characters in the online role-playing game Meridian 59. During this time, he created his gamer tag Gronkh, which originated as a portmanteau of the name Gregor Onkh.

In 2009, Range co-founded the gaming media and marketing business PlayMassive GmbH alongside Valentin Matthias Rahmel, known online as Sarazar. Range served as a managing partner and marketed games through the enterprise. In early 2018, Range stepped away from PlayMassive GmbH and retained the Gronkh trademark. He subsequently established his own company, Gods of Gaming GmbH, accompanied by several former PlayMassive employees.

Range began regularly publishing Let's Play videos in April 2010, starting with a test recording for the game Allods Online. His channel expanded into one of the most successful German-language outlets on YouTube, achieving over four million subscribers and 1.7 billion video views. His most notable content includes a Let's Play Minecraft series that ran from October 2010 to January 2014, encompassing over 1,200 episodes. Range's work has also involved commercial promotions for game manufacturers, such as a feature for Daedalic Entertainment's Edna & Harvey: The Breakout that contributed to increased sales.

In addition to YouTube, Range expanded into live video streaming. Between 2012 and 2014, he appeared in regular live streams on the online portal MyVideo, including the Last Man Standing competitive event in March 2013. He began streaming on Twitch in 2014, attracting a large audience. Following stream archive blocks on Twitch stemming from NetzDG regulations, Range launched the website Gronkh.tv in 2021 as a free, ad-free platform to archive his past live broadcasts.

In 2017, the German media authority Landesanstalt für Medien NRW informed Range that his online streaming required an official broadcasting license. To prevent lengthy legal conflicts, Range applied for a license in October 2017 and was granted one in January 2018 for his GronkhTV and Gronkh stations. Range is also a co-founder and co-host of Friendly Fire, an award-winning annual charity live stream held prior to Christmas since 2015.

Beyond his primary gaming endeavors, Range operated a travel-focused real-life channel titled Die Superhomies alongside Rahmel. In his personal life, Range has been in a relationship with content creator Tatjana Werth, known online as Pandorya, since December 2012.