On Monday, Twitch streamer Ironmouse broke the record for the most active Twitch subscribers, with 314,146. The vtuber and self-proclaimed “demon queen” broke streamer Kai Cenat’s 306,000 sub-record from last year.
The achievement is truly something to behold as vtubing was once a niche corner of the web, where users would tune in to watch virtual models bounce, talk in squeaky voices, and play games. But now it’s clear it’s a mainstream movement and the future of live streaming.
Over the past 30 days, Ironmouse has been streaming for a sub-a-thon raising money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation, which helps support research for primary immunodeficiencies.
Though Ironmouse’s fans are fervent supporters, the record-breaking sub-numbers can be partially attributed to Twitch’s Subtember event, which lowered the price of subs by 25 percent and added a gacha-like mechanic.
If a viewer gifted five subscriptions, they would get at least one extra added to the pot, with the potential for even more. Users who purchased gifted subs received a rush from seeing if they’d get even more, allowing more viewers to be subscribed to their favorite content creator. In one day alone, Ironmouse managed to get 30,000 subscriptions with the help of this promotion.
Ironmouse has been streaming since 2017 and suffers from a chronic illness known as common variable immune deficiency. That illness kept her isolated and, at times, even bedridden. So, she used vtubing and streaming as a way to “hang out with people,” she told the Washington Post.
“I want to have a good time and laugh,” she said to the Post. “I want to make memories with people.”
Over the past few years, her rise has been meteoric, winning Creator of the Year at the 2023 Game Awards and being flooded by fans when she attends conventions as an iPad on a stick.
Though many online, including Cenat, have congratulated Ironmouse, there are always some internet dwellers confused by the fact that a pink anime avatar is so gosh darn popular. But thankfully, the conversation has mostly been positive, with Ironmouse herself completely over the moon about her record break.
Vtubing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but its growth is a fascinating development on the World Wide Web. There are dozens of vtuber agencies dedicated to finding the next virtual superstars and concerts where they are hologrammed onto the stage.
Creators who once felt shy or were even unable to stream themselves can create new versions of themselves, free of any of their own underlying stigmas or personal fears. It’s a form of self expression that could only exist online, and it’s clearly here to stay.
