{{Short description|American YouTuber and podcaster (born 1986)}} {{Redirect|FPS Russia|the former section of the Russian border patrol|Border Guard Service of Russia#Old FPS structure}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Kyle Myers | image = | image_caption = | birth_name = Kyle Lamar Myers | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|05|09}} | birth_place = Lavonia, Georgia, U.S. | youtube_handle = FPSRussia | youtube_display_name = | youtube_years_active = 2010–2016 | youtube_genre = Firearms/weaponry | youtube_subscribers = 6.83 million<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | youtube_views = 972.1 million<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | stats_update = April 8, 2026 }} '''Kyle Lamar Myers''' (born May 9, 1986) is an American podcaster and former YouTuber known under the stage name '''FPSRussia''' and '''FPSKyle'''. His YouTube channel features Myers portraying the fictional role of Dimitri Potapov, a heavily accented "professional Russian" from Moscow. His videos center around the usage of large amounts of firearms and explosives.
Myers launched the FPSRussia channel in April 2010 and found success with the channel, as it surpassed one million subscribers in June 2011. In January 2013, the channel went on hiatus after a member of its production team was found shot dead, prompting an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Myers' residence was the subject of further GBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigations later in 2013, and again in 2017.
Myers ceased producing new FPSRussia videos in 2016, though he continues to maintain an online presence as the co-host of ''Painkiller Already'' (PKA), a podcast he co-founded in 2010. As of April 2025, the FPSRussia channel has retained 6.9 million subscribers and amassed over 970 million views.
==YouTube channel history== ===Background and video format=== Before Myers started FPSRussia, he ran a YouTube channel called "klm5986". Centered around ''Call of Duty'' gameplay commentary, this channel often featured videos with other YouTube personalities, such as xSocrates. He later wanted to show how guns worked in real life and to compare them to how they are portrayed in video games, films, and television shows.<ref>{{cite web|last=Massoud|first=Justin|url=http://www.asylum.com/2010/11/08/call-of-duty-black-ops-videos/|title=Gamer and Gun Enthusiast Imitates Crazy 'Call of Duty' Stunts|website=Asylum|date=November 8, 2010|access-date=May 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511000254/http://www.asylum.com/2010/11/08/call-of-duty-black-ops-videos|archive-date=May 11, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He got the idea for a Russian accent while working at a car dealership. One of his co-workers was Russian and he took an interest in impersonating his accent. His uncle was also a prankster and used to use the accent while talking to Kyle when he was five years old. He used the accent to create the character Dimitri and what followed was him filming himself shooting guns on his family farm in Georgia.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} He launched the FPSRussia channel in April 2010.<ref name=Cohen2011>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Joshua|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2011/06/22/fpsrussia-breaks-1-million-youtube-subscribers-blows-things-up/|title=FPSRussia Breaks 1 Million YouTube Subscribers, Blows Things Up|work=Tubefilter|date=June 22, 2011|access-date=May 29, 2012}}</ref> Also in 2010, Myers co-founded the podcast ''Painkiller Already'' with fellow YouTubers WoodysGamertag and WingsOfRedemption; as of 2025, the show is hosted by Myers, WoodysGamertag, and MurkaDurkah.<ref name=Sennhauser/>
Each FPSRussia video generally has Myers (as Dimitri) explaining the characteristics of the weapons he will use in that video (occasionally telling the history behind it and sometimes explanations of its purpose), before he demonstrates their abilities on random targets such as fruit, drink bottles, zombie mannequins, and even photos of Justin Bieber in his earlier videos.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Gabriel Beltrone|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/marketing-fake-accent-and-real-guns-134795|title=Marketing With a Fake Accent and Real Guns|magazine=Adweek|date=September 13, 2011|access-date=May 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cartier|first=Curtis|url=http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/03/watch_fps_russia_crazy_russian.php |title=FPS Russia, Crazy Russian Gun Freak, Shoots and Blows Up His Xbox 360 (VIDEO) |newspaper=Seattle Weekly |date=March 30, 2011 |access-date=May 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621104918/http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/03/watch_fps_russia_crazy_russian.php |archive-date=June 21, 2012 }}</ref> Myers has used largely varying pieces of equipment along with weapons that have been featured in his videos, such as a gold plated AK-47, an armored troop carrier,<ref>{{cite web|first=Jeremy|last=Korzeniewski|url=http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/29/fps-russia-takes-an-armored-troop-carrier-through-a-drive-thru/|title=FPS Russia takes an armored troop carrier through a drive thru|work=Autoblog|publisher=Weblogs, Inc.|date=August 29, 2011|access-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref> a .50 BMG rifle, a Bofors 40 mm automatic anti-aircraft cannon, and dual AA-12 shotguns.
===Collaborative works, appearances in other media, and related ventures=== The channel reached one-million-subscribers in June 2011.<ref name=Cohen2011/> Following the channel's early success, Myers launched a second channel, MoreFPSRussia, in September 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/MoreFPSRussia/about|title=MoreFPSRussia - about|publisher=MoreFPSRussia|via=YouTube|accessdate=August 3, 2022}}</ref>
The success of FPSRussia propelled Myers to appear on other channels and media; Myers collaborated with Epic Meal Time in July 2011,<ref>{{cite web|last=Hustvedt|first=Marc|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2011/07/19/rebecca-black-un-auto-tuned-epic-meal-time-fpsrussia/|title=Quick Clicks: Rebecca Black Un-Auto-Tuned, 'Yam Roll', YouTube View Counts, 'Epic Meal Time' w/ FPSRussia|work=Tubefilter|date=July 19, 2011|access-date=May 29, 2012}}</ref> and the collaboration has earned over 8.8 million video views on YouTube as of October 14, 2020. As Dimitri, Meyers hosted the live fire section of Machinima.com Prime's web series, ''The Controller: Medal of Honor Warfighter''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2012/09/20/machinima-prime-the-controller-medal-of-honor-warfighter/|title=Machinima Prime's 'The Controller' Is A New Spin On Jock/Nerd Pairing|work=Tubefilter|date=September 20, 2012|access-date=September 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Manarino|first=Matthew|url=http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/09/machinima-the-controller-e3/|title=NMR'S Exclusive Look At Ep. 3 of Machinima's 'The Controller: Medal of Honor Warfighter'|magazine=New Media Rockstars|date=September 21, 2012|access-date=September 22, 2012}}</ref> On October 29, 2012, Myers had a cameo appearance as his character, Dimitri, in the ''Call of Duty: Black Ops II'' live-action trailer directed by Guy Ritchie.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Nudd|first=Tim|url=http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/fpsrussia-leads-all-star-cast-guy-ritchies-killer-black-ops-2-spot-144868|title=FPSRussia Leads All-Star Cast in Guy Ritchie's Killer 'Black Ops 2' Spot|magazine=Adweek|date=October 29, 2012|access-date=October 30, 2012}}</ref>
After an announcement video in December 2012 and a successful Kickstarter campaign, FPSRussia released "FPS Russia: The Game" on the App Store for iOS devices in March 2013 with developer Zaah.<ref>{{cite web|last=Plafke|first=James|url=http://www.geek.com/articles/games/gun-obsessed-youtube-star-fps-russia-is-making-a-video-game-20121212/|title=Gun-obsessed YouTube star FPS Russia is making a video game|website=Geek.com|date=December 12, 2012|access-date=July 13, 2013|archive-date=December 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215123307/http://www.geek.com/articles/games/gun-obsessed-youtube-star-fps-russia-is-making-a-video-game-20121212|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, Myers founded another gaming channel named "FPS" that has been inactive since 2014.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5hdF7Hr_X8|title=Let's Get Started!|publisher=FPS|via=YouTube|date=September 15, 2013 |access-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>
===Death of Keith Ratliff and final years of FPSRussia=== On January 3, 2013, Keith Ratliff, the co-owner of FPS Industries (a custom firearms fabrication and testing company) and a member of the FPSRussia production team, was found shot dead in his home in Carnesville, Georgia.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Manarino|first=Matthew|url=http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/01/pro-gun-blog-claims-that-murdered-man-is-the-manager-of-youtubes-fpsrussia/|title=Pro-gun blog claims that murdered man is the manager of FPSRussia|magazine=New Media Rockstars|date=January 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kneiser|first=MJ |url=http://www.independentmail.com/news/2013/jan/06/gbi-to-help-investigate-kentucky-mans-shooting/ |title=GBI to help investigate Kentucky man's shooting |work=Anderson Independent-Mail |date=January 6, 2013 |access-date=January 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111101213/http://www.independentmail.com/news/2013/jan/06/gbi-to-help-investigate-kentucky-mans-shooting/ |archive-date=January 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20538156/fpsrussia |title=Man behind popular FPSRussia YouTube channel found dead |last1=Dillon |first1=Denise |date=January 8, 2013 |publisher=Fox 5 Atlanta|access-date=January 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111213507/http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20538156/fpsrussia |archive-date=January 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Muir |first1=Juliet |title=No arrests six years after Keith Ratliff found shot to death in his Georgia home |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/no-arrests-six-years-after-keith-ratliff-found-shot-death-n952826 |access-date=13 September 2020 |agency=NBC News}}</ref> A coroner revealed he was shot in the head and classified his death as a homicide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Keith Ratliff Homicide Investigation |url=https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2013-01-11/keith-ratliff-homicide-investigation#:~:text=The%20cause%20of%20death%20as,and%20the%20manner%20is%20homicide. |date=January 11, 2013|access-date=April 20, 2025 |publisher=Georgia Bureau of Investigation |language=en}}</ref> Ratliff held a federal firearms license (FFL) and was responsible for obtaining the firearms used in the videos.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Robbie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/us/keith-ratliff-gun-enthusiast-of-fpsrussia-is-shot-to-death.html?_r=0|title=Gun Enthusiast With Popular Online Videos Is Shot to Death in Georgia|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 11, 2013|access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref> Numerous firearms were found in his house, but none were the murder weapon.<ref name=Kneiser-March2013/>
Following Ratliff's death, the production of Myers' FPSRussia videos went on hiatus until February 19.<ref>{{cite web|last=Callahn|first=Chris|url=http://www.guns.com/2013/02/20/fpsrussia-returns-from-hiatus-video/|title=FPSRussia Returns from Hiatus (VIDEO)|website=Guns.com|date=February 20, 2013|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=February 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225003457/http://www.guns.com/2013/02/20/fpsrussia-returns-from-hiatus-video/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In March, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said it was still investigating.<ref name=Kneiser-March2013>{{cite web |last=Kneiser|first=MJ|url=http://www.independentmail.com/news/2013/mar/07/ratliff-murder-investigation-active-gbi-says/ |title=Ratliff murder investigation is active, GBI says |work=Anderson Independent-Mail |date=March 7, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311155442/http://www.independentmail.com/news/2013/mar/07/ratliff-murder-investigation-active-gbi-says/ |archive-date=March 11, 2013}}</ref> However, as there have been no official updates since the initial reports following Ratliff's death,<ref name=Sennhauser>{{cite web|last=Sennhauser|first=Morgan|url=http://gazettereview.com/2016/04/what-happened-to-fpsrussia-update/|title=What Happened to FPSRussia – What's He Doing Now Update|date=May 25, 2022|orig-date=April 23, 2016|work=Gazette Review|accessdate=April 21, 2025}}</ref> the case has become the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.<ref>{{cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|url=https://kotaku.com/wild-conspiracy-theories-abound-in-death-of-fps-russia-5976958|title=Wild Conspiracy Theories Abound In Death Of FPS Russia Producer|website=Kotaku|date=January 18, 2013|access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref>
After another hiatus, this time lasting nine months, the channel resumed making videos on January 10, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last=Slowik|first=Max|url=http://www.guns.com/2014/01/10/fps-russia-back-bullpups-unlimited-12-gauge-video/|title=FPS Russia is back with a Bullpups Unlimited 12-gauge (VIDEO)|website=Guns.com|date=January 10, 2014|access-date=January 13, 2014|archive-date=January 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112110256/http://www.guns.com/2014/01/10/fps-russia-back-bullpups-unlimited-12-gauge-video/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2014, FPSRussia was listed on ''NewMediaRockstars'' Top 100 Channels, ranked at #78.<ref>{{cite web|title=The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 100-76!|url=http://newmediarockstars.com/2014/12/the-nmr-top-100-youtube-channels-100-76/|url-status=unfit|website=New Media Rockstars|date=December 29, 2014|access-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230101156/http://newmediarockstars.com/2014/12/the-nmr-top-100-youtube-channels-100-76/|archive-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> No videos have been released on the channel since April 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/@FPSRussia/videos|title=FPSRussia - Videos|publisher=FPSRussia|via=YouTube|accessdate=April 21, 2025}}</ref>
==Legal issues== On March 29, 2013, Myers' Franklin County residence was searched by upwards of 40 members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside agents from the FBI. The investigators also searched Myers's father's nearby farm, a frequent filming location for FPSRussia. ATF spokesman Richard Coes said the justification for the search was "that [Myers] was using explosives and getting paid for it via YouTube."<ref>{{cite news|last=Stuart|first=Hunter|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/fpsrussia-raid-kyle-myers_n_2979108.html|title=FPSRussia Raid: Kyle Myers's Property Searched By Federal Agents |work=Huffington Post|date=March 29, 2013}}</ref>
In August 2017, Myers' residence was again raided by ATF and FBI agents after Myers was alleged to have received 25-grams (0.88 oz) of butane hash oil through the mail.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ford|first=Wayne|url=https://www.onlineathens.com/local-news/2017-08-23/gun-shooting-video-maker-carnesville-arrested-feds-search-property-guns|title=Gun-shooting video maker in Carnesville arrested; feds search property for guns, explosives|work=Athens Banner-Herald|date=August 23, 2017|access-date=October 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Law Enforcement Seizes "Butane Honey Oil" in Franklin County |url=https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2017-08-24/law-enforcement-seizes-butane-honey-oil-franklin-county |publisher=Georgia Bureau of Investigation |date=August 24, 2017 |access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref> The Department of Justice prosecuted on the grounds that illegal drug possession while owning a firearm is a federal offense. Myers was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and 50 of his weapons were confiscated under Section 922(g)(3) of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prohibits illegal drug users from possessing firearms. He later pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Butane Hash Oil, with all other charges dismissed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/8228342/parties/united-states-v-myers/|title= United States v. MYERS (3:18-cr-00049)|website=CourtListener.com|publisher=Free Law Project|language=en-US|access-date=September 21, 2019}}</ref>
On June 19, 2019, Myers was sentenced to two years' probation and 56 days in prison, which he served at Federal Correctional Institution, Talladega, in 2019, as well as a fine in the amount of $7,500. Since his release from prison, Myers has spoken about the case on PKA.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-UlDWetxQc|title=PKA 459 The Return of Kyle|work=Painkiller Already|via=YouTube|date=October 5, 2019 |access-date=November 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Docket for United States v. MYERS, 3:18-cr-00049 - CourtListener.com|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/8228342/united-states-v-myers/|access-date=September 15, 2021|website=CourtListener.com|publisher=Free Law Project|language=en-us}}</ref>
==See also== *List of YouTubers
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{YouTube|user=FPSRussia}}
Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:2010 web series debuts Category:2016 web series endings Category:American comedy podcasters Category:American people convicted of drug offenses Category:Firearm YouTubers Category:People from Lavonia, Georgia Category:YouTube channels closed in 2016 Category:YouTube channels launched in 2010 Category:YouTubers from Georgia (U.S. state)