Popular YouTuber Dream has for years been known to his fans only as a cartoon smiley face.

The Minecraft gamer, with 30 million subscribers online, only ever uses his voice in streams - albeit occasionally appearing on camera wearing a mask.

But all that looked set to change after his friends - and other YouTubers - posted videos apparently reacting to Dream without his mask.

He then posted a video revealing his face for the first time.

Minecraft is the world's bestselling video game and Dream's most popular videos have tens of millions of views, with one having been watched more than 115 million times.

"Hi, my name is Clay, otherwise known as Dream," he said in a five-minute video viewed more than 12 million times.

With a friend moving to the US, where Dream is based, he wanted to be able to go out more, without worrying about leaks or speculation, he said.

"I've been bunkered up," Dream said. "The people trying to leak my face, trying to find out what I look like... it's just a tiny bit too much."

His face would remain absent from his Minecraft videos, he said, but he may start making "IRL content" - set in real life - with his friends.

In the days leading up to his public reveal, Dream showed his face to several close contacts, asking them to post their reactions online.

One, Karl Jacobs, who said he was among Dream's best friends, said he "looks like a baseball player".

I FaceTimed Dream :)

Here’s my reaction to finally seeing one of my best friends’ faces for the first time! pic.twitter.com/gicCs4AVP1

— karl :) (@KarlJacobs_) September 30, 2022

And almost a million people have watched a video of Dream revealing his face to popular technology YouTuber Marques Brownlee - despite the two never having spoken before meeting virtually.

Met @Dream today and saw his face. Nice guy 😅

(Pardon the quality. But also lowkey he's in the middle of one of the most interesting social media campaigns I've ever seen) pic.twitter.com/HZOEa9lCZ3

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) October 2, 2022

"This channel is living proof that anyone can do anything," Dream said.

"Anyone can be under the mask and I don't want my face reveal to take away from that fact - Dream could have been anyone from anywhere.

"I will be forever in debt to my viewers and my subscribers. I love you guys."