Valkyrae

Early Life and Formative Years

Rachell Marie Hofstetter was born on January 8, 1992, in Moses Lake, Washington. She is of Filipino and German descent and grew up with three brothers and one younger sister. Her early interest in video games was actively encouraged by her mother. To support herself, Hofstetter worked a variety of jobs including as a bank teller, waitress, babysitter, car wash employee, and an arcade attendant. One job that influenced her career was at GameStop, where she began sharing clips of her gaming hobby on Instagram. She attended community college, graduating with an associate degree in arts and science, before her online following encouraged her to pursue streaming more seriously.

Streaming Breakthrough and Joining 100 Thieves

Hofstetter began live streaming on Twitch in 2015 while still working at GameStop. She later started uploading content to YouTube. Her major breakthrough came in 2018 through her gameplay of the popular battle royale title Fortnite, which significantly grew her audience. That October, she made a landmark move by becoming the first female content creator for the esports and lifestyle organization 100 Thieves. This partnership marked her entry into the professional gaming community and set the stage for her future as an industry figure. In May 2019, her rising profile earned her a nomination for the Gaming award at the 11th Shorty Awards.

Mainstream Success on YouTube and Award Dominance

In January 2020, Hofstetter signed an exclusive streaming contract with YouTube, leaving Twitch. Her initial months on the platform averaged around 1,500 concurrent viewers. Her channel experienced explosive growth in late 2020, however, with streams regularly peaking at over 100,000 concurrent viewers. This surge was driven by her participation in the social deduction game Among Us, where she collaborated with a wide array of popular streamers like Disguised Toast, Sykkuno, and Pokimane, as well as celebrities including PewDiePie, politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. By the end of 2020, she was the year's most-viewed female streamer. In December 2020, she won the prestigious Game Award for Content Creator of the Year. She followed this with the Streamy Award for Livestreamer in 2021 and was named Gaming Creator of the Year by Adweek that same year.

Business Expansion and Executive Roles

Hofstetter's role at 100 Thieves evolved from content creator to executive. In April 2021, she and fellow streamer CouRageJD joined the company's ownership group, which also included founder Nadeshot, investor Dan Gilbert, and celebrities Scooter Braun and Drake. As co-owners, they received equity in 100 Thieves, which Forbes valued at $190 million at the time. In September 2022, she became an ambassador for the fitness apparel brand Gymshark. Demonstrating further entrepreneurial ambition, she founded her own media company, Hihi Studios, in September 2024. The company's stated goal is to develop and produce intellectual property for graphic novels, television, and film with an emphasis on anime-inspired content. Its first project, announced in June 2025, is a webtoon titled Bad Influence.

Acting, Voice Work, and Media Appearances

Hofstetter has built a parallel career in voice acting and on-screen appearances. In 2021, she featured in music videos for Machine Gun Kelly's 'DayWalker' and Bella Poarch's 'Build a Bitch' and 'Inferno'. She voiced a Hannya Squad member in the English dub of the TV series Tribe Nine in 2022 and Squad Commander Red in the animated series Sonic Prime that same year. In 2023, she made a cameo as herself in the film The Family Plan. In January 2025, she voiced the lead character, Ratchet, in the animated film Goldbeak. She also co-hosted season one of the Netflix series Inside: USA in September 2025. Her profile in mainstream media was highlighted by a seven-page fashion spread in Vogue Philippines in April 2023 and by hosting the red carpet premiere for Spider-Man: Brand New Day in July 2026.

Platform Return and Streaming Evolution

After five years of exclusive streaming on YouTube across three contracts, Hofstetter returned to Twitch on January 8, 2025, coinciding with her 33rd birthday and 10th streaming anniversary. In her first week back, she became the most-watched female streamer on Twitch by hours watched. Her content continued to diversify, including heavy involvement in roleplaying on the Grand Theft Auto V server NoPixel in 2024. In August 2025, she won the first Pokémon Nuzlocke Invitational tournament after a run through the loser's bracket. That same month, the developers of Waterpark Simulator added her voice for seagull sound effects after an impromptu audition during her stream. She also participated in large-scale creator events like MrBeast's '50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000' in July 2024.

Philanthropy and Public Advocacy

Charity work has been a consistent part of Hofstetter's career. She participated in an Among Us charity stream hosted by Jimmy Fallon in April 2021, raising over $25,000 for Feeding America. In December 2021, she raised over $300,000 for New Story during Jacksepticeye's 'Thankmas' event. She has been a recurring participant in 'Thankmas', helping raise over $10 million for World Central Kitchen in 2022. She has made substantial personal donations, including $10,000 to The Trevor Project in 2022, $15,000 to No Kid Hungry, $10,000 for Turkey-Syria earthquake relief in 2023, and $50,000 to HEAL Palestine in 2025. She has also supported the Alveus Sanctuary, raising over $30,000 in a 2024 visit and donating $10,000 for flood relief in 2025. Publicly, she has advocated for women's and LGBTQ+ rights, the pro-choice movement, and endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Personal Challenges and Public Controversy

Hofstetter has been open about personal hardships. Her father died from cancer in April 2017, and she paid for his hospice care. Her half-brother, Mark, died in February 2026 after struggling with alcohol addiction. Hofstetter stated they were estranged since their father's death. From 2016 to 2021, she was in a relationship with streamer Michael 'Sonii' Sherman. From April 2023 to July 2024, she lived with fellow streamers Leslie 'Fuslie' Fu, Miyoung 'Kkatamina' Kim, and Christina 'TinaKitten' Kenyon, a group known as The Roomies. In October 2021, she faced significant professional controversy with the launch of her skincare brand, RFLCT. The brand claimed its products protected against blue light from screens, but it received swift backlash from experts and consumers due to a lack of scientific evidence. Hofstetter acknowledged the criticisms were valid, expressed confusion over the missing supporting research, and stated she wished to part ways with the brand. RFLCT ceased operations on October 30, 2021.