Online trends come and go, but few achieve the exact opposite of what they set out to accomplish—that is, until the Vexbolts Mass Unfollowing.
A viral campaign against controversial TikToker @Vexbolts, the initiative served to lightheartedly "punish" the creator for the content he had been creating for over three years. Instead, the campaign garnered the creator nearly five million more followers in several days.
The trend is the unfollowing— and discussion around the unfollowing—of @Vexbolts on Dec. 31, 2024. This would create a "@Vexbolts-free 2025" so that users could enjoy TikTok without the creator's presence, which many users found to be cringe and try-hard.
@vexbolts___ I need to know if I can ???? #trendingvideo #vexbolts #vexbolts2025 #fortnite #foryou #greenscreenvideo #foryoupage #viral #trending #tiktok #fypage #fyp #tiktokviral #viralvideo #2025 #decemeber31st #lethimcook #onemoreday ♬ original sound - Vexbolts
According to Yahoo News, the @Vexbolts mass unfollowing TikTok trend originated on Dec. 24, 2024, when creator @unemployedcrashout posted a video that included the text "Vexbolts mass unfollowing Dec 31st, spread the word," with a caption that read "bro is NOT making it to 2025." This TikTok garnered over 890,000 views and over 95,000 likes.
Though the reasoning behind the mass unfollowing was unclear, many believe it began a joke or prank to lightheartedly call out @Vexbolts for his behavior of aggressively capitalizing on memes and trends.
The copypasta from @unemployedcrashedout's original text soon spread throughout TikTok, with "Vexbolts mass unfollowing dec 31st, spread the word" being seen both in video content and in comments relating to the unfollowing. Many of these trending videos use @Vexbolts’ original sounds, catchphrases, and voice-overs.
As the new year approached, high-profile TikTok accounts—including pro basketball accounts for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and the Brooklyn Nets—also participated in on the campaign, contributing to its virality.
@Vexbolts himself humorously capitalized on the trend, creating a series of videos in late December that included giving a play-by-play on the unfollowing, ruminating on his own "funeral," and even encouraging the unfollowing by handing out fliers at a local mall.
As a creator who is known to eagerly to jump on internet trends, @Vexbolts is embracing his own meme-ification, using it as a vehicle for promoting his humorous content.
In the creator's most recent video, he is dressed in a suit in front of a casket. He says to the camera, "If you're seeing this, it's already over. @Vexbolts has been left in 2024 and has not moved on to 2025. This is my last video ever, but the 'let him cook' legacy will be carried on through."
On Dec. 31, 2024, YouTuber MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) made an appearance on @Vexbolt's TikTok account to promote the trend. In the collaboration, Donaldson says, “I’m passing the phone to the guy we’re leaving in 2024," and passes the phone to @Vexbolt. Shocked, the 19-year-old says, “Bro can you sneak me into 2025 please?” To which Donaldson jokingly responds, “No, you’re in 2024. You’re gone.”
@vexbolts Vexbolts is getting left in 2024 @MrBeast ????????#vexbolts #lethimcook #december31st ♬ Ganger by Rroxket CYBER SPEED - cyberundergr0und
@Vexbolts is a 19-year-old content creator who rose to prominence when a clip from him playing the game Fortnite went viral in 2023. In the meme, @Vexbolts screams "let him cook" (creating the TikToker's most famous catchphrase), while a warrior character attacks another character, who is cooking on a grill.
Despite the clear messaging, the mass unfollowing initiative created a community of advocates, who spoke out against the mass unfollowing and in appreciation of the creator. As 2025 approached, @Vexbolts' popularity only skyrocketed, garnering him 5 million more followers and a new level of internet fame.
As of Jan. 2, 2024, @Vexbolts TikTok viewership is in the millions, with one video garnering him over 260 million views. Ultimately, the creator was not "left in 2024," and appears to be more relevant than ever in 2025.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @Vexbolts via email and on TikTok. The creator did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
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The post The Vexbolts mass unfollowing event (and its failure), explained appeared first on The Daily Dot.
