By Sagar V. Mankar 
Popular content creator Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter has recently announced her departure from YouTube after five years to return to Twitch. The announcement, made on December 29, 2024, marks the end of her successful tenure on YouTube, where she amassed 4.1 million subscribers.
During a recent episode of her podcast “Press Esc,” Valkyrae shared detailed insights into her decision-making process. She explained that YouTube’s primary focus on video content, particularly its growing emphasis on Shorts, didn’t align with her identity as a live content creator. “YouTube is always going to be video first,” she stated, revealing that platform executives had directly communicated their priorities to her. “They’ve told me. They’ve specifically told me that their priority is Shorts,” she said.
The creator also highlighted the fundamental difference between the two platforms’ audiences and purposes. “When people go to Twitch, they go there to watch streamers. When people go to YouTube, they go there to watch videos,” she explained. This distinction became increasingly important as Valkyrae identified more strongly as a streamer rather than a traditional content uploader. “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,” she added.
Her return to Twitch is scheduled for January 8, 2025, coinciding with her birthday. With over a million followers already on her Twitch channel, the transition appears promising.
Sources: Valkyrae’s Press Esc podcast (December 29, 2024)