Kootra, whose real name is Jordan Mathewson, was born on April 24, 1991, in Montana but soon after his birth, his family moved to Scotland. After living in Scotland for five years, Kootra moved back to the United States and moved to Colorado. Kootra is described as a pyromaniac ever since his uncle bought him fireworks one year. Before he began making videos, Kootra worked as an assistant greenskeeper at a golf course in Colorado. Unsatisfied with his job, Kootra created a YouTube channel by the same name and began uploading videos of Call of Duty 4 machinimas which were choreographed scenes made from gameplay to resemble a story.
The videos gained many views and Kootra was soon known for them. He also made Halo machinimas which included videos titled "Warthog Training" and "Suppressor". His interest in filmmaking peaked as he learned how to use video editing tools and 3D modeling which he used to increase the production value of his content. He primarily used the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) to create machinimas in the Unreal Engine. He is also known for commentating games including Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In 2014 he was "swatted" by a prankster who reported a false crime at Kootra's address while he was live streaming the computer game Counterstrike. He was arrested along with the others in his home but was eventually released.
