Twitch
From Competitive Gamer to Comedy Gold: How One Spanish Streamer Built a 600K Following Through Chaos and Authenticity
David Iglesias might not be a household name outside Spain, but under his gaming alias GUANYAR, he's become one of the country's most recognizable Twitch personalities. Born in Santiago de Compostela in August 1997, this Galician streamer has built a loyal following of over 600,000 viewers who tune in for his blend of gaming content and off-the-cuff humor. What started as competitive Call of Duty sessions has evolved into something much more entertaining and unpredictable.
Like many streamers, GUANYAR's path wasn't exactly linear. He spent his childhood playing football and even worked as a referee before discovering his passion for gaming. After finishing high school at Colegio LaSalle in his hometown, he made the bold move to Barcelona to pursue university studies while diving deeper into competitive gaming. By 2018, he was competing professionally, but it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that his streaming career truly took off.
The turning point came in 2020 when his father fell ill, prompting David to return home to Santiago. Stuck indoors like everyone else during lockdowns, he shifted his focus from pure competitive gaming to creating more engaging, personality-driven content. This pivot proved genius - his streams became less about perfect gameplay and more about genuine entertainment. His audience connected with his authentic, sometimes chaotic energy, even when things went wrong (like the infamous incident that earned him a three-month Twitch ban for accidentally including inappropriate content on stream).
These days, you'll find GUANYAR streaming everything from Grand Theft Auto V to IRL content, typically pulling in thousands of viewers during his Monday sessions that can stretch for ten hours. His success caught the attention of Team Heretics, one of Spain's premier esports organizations, who signed him in March 2021. The deal meant relocating to Madrid, where he now shares a gaming house with five other content creators - a setup that's become increasingly common in the Spanish streaming scene.
What sets GUANYAR apart isn't just his gaming skills, but his ability to turn everyday moments into content gold. His YouTube channel, which boasts over 330,000 subscribers, features everything from challenge videos to vlogs about life as a professional streamer. One video, where he challenged himself not to raise his hands or forfeit €10,000, racked up over a million views. It's this willingness to put himself in ridiculous situations that keeps viewers coming back, even when technical difficulties or the occasional Twitch suspension temporarily sideline his broadcasts.
