YouTube personality and renowned streamer Valkyrae, whose real name is Rachell Marie Hofstetter, has recently voiced her intent to step away from live streaming on Twitch.
The remarks of Valkyrae have sparked widespread discussion, coinciding with a series of controversies that have plagued the platform, including alleged assault incidents involving Emiru and FaZe Silky’s assistant, as well as animal abuse accusations directed at streamer Hasan Piker.
A clip from October 26, 2025, featuring Valkyrae’s candid statement, is currently trending on social media. In the video, she described streaming as a “gross” experience, expressing discomfort with her continued association with the platform. She stated:
“A part of me feels like I want to quit streaming on Twitch and only be on YouTube again. It feels gross. Being around, associated with in the eyes of some crazy people. It’s, I don’t know, I’m not sure. Things are gonna change.”
Although Valkyrae has not released an official statement elsewhere, she addressed the issue indirectly through her Instagram Story on the same day the clip went viral. She shared a link to the trending video and captioned it:
“Live on Twitch and YouTube! Among Us then Digimon :)”
The Moses Lake, Washington native first appeared on television around three years ago in Tribe Nine and Sonic Prime. Her acting credits also include the films The Family Plan and Goldbeak. Beyond her streaming success, Valkyrae has amassed millions of followers across her YouTube and Instagram platforms
Twitch Under Fire for Multiple Incidents
Twitch has faced mounting scrutiny due to several high-profile controversies in recent weeks. One of the most discussed incidents involves streamer Emiru, who was allegedly assaulted during a meet-and-greet session at TwitchCon. According to the New York Post, a man approached her, grabbed her face, and attempted to kiss her before security intervened.
Emiru later criticized the platform’s response, claiming Twitch misrepresented the sequence of events:
“He was allowed to walk away from my meet and greet, and I didn’t hear he was caught until hours after he attacked me, and it felt like this only happened because of my manager pressing for it, not because TwitchCon staff present thought it was a big deal.”
She further alleged that fellow streamer Mizkif tried to influence her visitors at the convention, saying his efforts were unsuccessful:
“Obviously, they’re not insane.”
Another major controversy involved Nina Lin and Zoe Spencer, who faced backlash after a viral video on October 23, 2025, appeared to show inappropriate behavior toward FaZe Silky’s assistant, Said. Lin later issued a public apology during an IRL stream, admitting fault:
“At that moment, I genuinely thought it was a joke. But I see now it was really wrong. What we did was wrong.”
Both streamers were banned from Twitch the following day for violating community guidelines, with official messages confirming the disciplinary action.
Earlier this month, Hasan Piker was accused of using a shock collar on his dog during a live stream. The allegations circulated after a clip from his broadcast appeared on Know Your Meme, showing the pet reacting in the background. In response, Piker denied the claims in a follow-up video, asserting that the incident was misunderstood:
“She yelped because she fu**ing clipped herself on something when she was getting off the bed. I gave her the place command while she was getting off, and then she yelped. She had broken the previous bed. I suspect it’s coming from some crazy haters.”
While Valkyrae has not directly connected her remarks to any of these specific controversies, her statement about quitting Twitch has reignited debate over the platform’s environment and its handling of misconduct cases. As of now, she has yet to elaborate further on her decision.
