Summary
Rachell Hofstetter, better known as Valkyrae, began her streaming career on Twitch in 2015, where she quickly gained recognition for herFortnitestreams. In 2020, she made headlines by signing a two-year exclusivity contract with YouTube, marking a major milestone in her career. After completing that contract,Valkyrae renewed her commitment to YouTubewith two additional exclusivity agreements. However, on December 19, she surprised her fans by announcing her decision to leave YouTube, sparking widespread speculation about the reasons behind her departure.
During a recent episode of herpodcast, Press Esc, Valkyrae elaborated on her experience with streaming on YouTube and why she decided to switch to Twitch. She highlighted that YouTube’s primary focus has always been on video content, particularly with the growing emphasis on “shorts,” as the platform had directly communicated this priority to her. While YouTube remains a dominant force for video creators,multi-talented content creator Valkyraeexpressed frustration that certain improvements she had hoped for on the streaming side were not implemented during her five years on the platform.
Valkyrae Explains Her Decision to Switch to Twitch
“I view myself as a streamer because I barely upload YouTube videos. I don’t think it works with the type of content I would want to upload.”
100 Thieves co-owner Valkyraeexplained that streaming on YouTube comes with the challenge of competing with a vast library of videos, which doesn’t align with her approach as someone who identifies primarily as a streamer rather than a content uploader. Valkyrae acknowledged that if she were consistently uploading videos, YouTube might still be a suitable platform for her. However, given her focus on streaming, she felt that Twitch’s audience, which is specifically geared toward live content, better matched her goals.
Valkyrae’s first livestream on Twitch is scheduled for her birthday, Aug 02, 2025. While some may wonder howValkyrae’s decision to leave YouTube for Twitchwill impact her, her Twitch channel already boasts over a million followers, indicating she can expect a strong viewer turnout for her debut return stream, with many of her YouTube fans likely joining. It is worth noting that platform switches among streamers are not uncommon, as seen last year when major creators like Adin Ross, xQc, and Amouranth moved to Twitch’s rival, Kick.com.
