This is the first and definitive MLG Iceberg chart on the worldwide web.
ENTRIES EXPLAINED
Tip of the Iceberg
This was the professional esports organization that started it all. MLG held official video game tournaments throughout the United States and Canada. MLG's aim was to elevate computer and console game tournaments to viable competitive and spectator events. The organization experienced a loss of profit, leading its parent company, Activision Blizzard, to close its last branch in January 2024.
Also known as MLG Montages, these are a series of remix videos parodying the "video game montage" subgenre on YouTube. Characterized by quick-paced edits and looped footage, as well as heavy use of loud dubstep music and squeaker sounds in the background, this style of editing initially rose to popularity through highlight reels of impressive gameplay released by e-sport teams in the Major Gaming League. As early as September 2010, YouTubers were uploading montages containing footage from FPS games like Call of Duty. On March 10th, 2011, YouTuber Jamal Nigrumz (also known as jmcxs) uploaded the earliest known montage parody video featuring clips from the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. This style of editing quickly evolved to be professional with the rise of MLG YouTubers, pioneering and inspiring the editing styles seen on the internet today. As of 2025 With the success of the MLG Revival, the original editing style has seen a huge comeback.
The two products have had an intertwined history due to various promotions, and both have become heavily associated with video gaming culture through events such as Doritosgate. In 2012, video game website LevelSave.com released an interview with journalist Geoff Keighley, which heavily featured product placement from both Mountain Dew and Doritos. Later in the year, the interview was criticized by Eurogamer.net writer Rab Florence, which sparked off the Doritosgate controversy. The image of Keighley surrounded by Mountain Dew and Doritos later spun off into the Doritos Pope meme.
These are a genre of internet memes that reached mainstream prominence around 2014.
On October 20th, 2011 the website for the Belgian magazine Humo posted a single panel comic in which a father tells his daughter that she cannot contract the AIDS virus from a mosquito bite but replies "that changes everything" when asked what would happen if the mosquito were homosexual. On July 8th, 2012, Tumblr user welcometothedankside posted an edited version of the comic panel, showing the father attempting to persuade his six-year-old daughter to smoke marijuana by saying "420 blaze it" followed by a slur. Within the next seven months, the post received over 48,300 notes.
TGMR is a successful 2026 internet movement calling for the return to 2010s-era "dank" humor, aiming to abolish brainrot/AI slop and content farm/elsagate content that's everywhere with the enshittification of the internet.
Swag is a youth subculture and street fashion aesthetic that was prominent in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The movement was heavily intertwined with hip-hop culture, particularly the West Coast "Jerk" dance and music scene that emerged from California. It is characterized by a bright, colorful, and brand-conscious fashion style, a specific slang vocabulary, and an attitude centered on confidence and self-expression. The aesthetic was popularized globally through music videos (particularly "You're a Jerk" by New Boy'z), early social media platforms like Tumblr, and its adoption by mainstream hip-hop artists.
Dubstep is a genre of electronic music originating from South London in the late nineties. Derived from "dub," a type of reggae-influenced music which involves taking other songs and "dubbing" over them to create new music with an emphasis on drum and bass. The "step" comes from "2-step garage" music, a genre that had been popular in London dance clubs since the mid '90s 2-step garage (which is always spelled with the number) has many similarities to dubstep, including the irregular beat pattern and pulse that the latter is known for. The style of music developed in London's club scene in the early 2000s, and evolved into its current form throughout the decade. The phrase "dubstep" first came into mainstream usage in 2002, as the genre became more refined and distinguished in comparison to its predecessor genres like dub and drum and bass. Following its rise to mainstream popularity, dubstep's distinctive musical patterns became more exaggerated, with the beats becoming louder and more abrasive. The form has still retained its basic traits, however, including the relatively simple beats and the prominance of base and drum patterns.
1337speak, also known as 13375p34k or leetspeak, is a language that people on the internet use involving numbers, letters and characters. 1337 comes from the word leet. Leet comes from the word elite. 1337 first started on Bulletin Board Systems in which if you had elite status you could access the file folders, games, and V.I.P chatrooms. 1337speak uses ASCII characters to create words and emoticons like n00b (noob), 101, (lol[laugh out loud]), :] (a symbol representing a happy face which can be reversed to be :[, a sad face).
Pink Guy is a comedic persona created by Japanese singer, songwriter, and former internet personality Joji. Known for wearing a bright pink spandex bodysuit, the character was a staple of the Filthy Frank Show.
The 2025 MLG Revival is another successful internet movement, influencing TGMR a year later. It was the second attempt at a revival, calling for the return to the peak of the internet.
Beneath The Waves
The MLG era is highly regarded as the peak of the internet.
This refers to all the iconic audios used in edits and music. Noteable ones include "WOMBO COMBO", "Damn son where'd ya find this?," "OH BABY A TRIPLE OH YEAH".
EDM, or Electronic dance music is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. Both EDM and dubstep were the two main genres of music commonly utilized in edits.
These were some of the most popular video games of all time during the MLG era.
MLG Tubers are a popular type of YouTuber who made MLG videos. Noteable ones include Pyrocynical, AncientReality, Dolan Dark, Cyranek, Materialisimo, Senpai Kush, Snipars, Grandayy, MLGsolana420, and yours truly.
Dr. Filthy Francis or Francis of the Filth, simply known as Filthy Frank, was a character created by Joji who serves as the titular protagonist of the TVFilthyFrank YouTube channel, and was known for offensive, shocking, alternative, and filthy humor. Filming himself, his friends, and the bizarre entities living in his house, Frank became the star of his own show: The Filthy Frank Show. An internet comedian, vlogger, Chef, musician, satirist, and absolute madman, Filthy Frank was the edgiest man on the internet. He was described as the literal embodiment of "everything a person should not be". Along with being the former protagonist of the videos, he was also the protagonist of the book named after him; Francis of the Filth.
This is the MLG website created by @MLGsolana420.
Smoke weed everyday
Sam is most iconic TTS voice used in almost every MLG edit ever.
This is a joke originally started as a parody of old conspiracy theory videos on YouTube claiming to find subliminal messaging and ties to the illuminati in insubstantial things.
Often called the king of dubstep, Skrill's music is undoubtedly the greatest dubstep of all time. His songs are probably the most used in edits out of any artist.
The 2023 MLG Revival is a precursor internet movement to the 2025 revival, and the first attempt for a return to the peak of the internet. The 2023 revival was slightly overshadowed by propaganda in part of an attempted sabotage by bums and normies, and due to this was shortlived in the mainstream, although ultimately seen as successful underground.
On June 21st, 2007, YouTuber GameStream uploaded a video featuring Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gameplay footage with "Sandstorm" playing in the background. In eight years, the video gained over four million views and 7,600 comments. On January 1st, 2009, YouTuber fireandicernice uploaded a video of a man playing "Sandstorm" on a toy trumpet. On November 8th, Redditor infobrains submitted a reupload of the video to the /r/WTF subreddit, where it garnered upwards of 900 up votes and 80 comments prior to being archived.
This refers to adding to or subtracting from popular numbers for the lulz. Instead of 420, you say 421, or 419, or 531. Etc.
On January 14th, 2013, an anonymous 4chan user posted the original "Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life" story. The post tells the story of a boy who prays to Shrek prior to being s***mized by the green ogre. On February 18th, 2013, YouTuber SgtSnuggleButt uploaded a dramatic reading of the OG green text story. The following day, YouTuber CatalystEXE uploaded another reading of the story dubbed over a dark SFM animation of Shrek. In nearly one year, the videos gained over 550,000 and 300,000 views respectively.
The Deep Dive