When Bernie Sanders met Sykkuno: how VTubers are taking over social platforms

It made for a curious sight: the US senator Bernie Sanders discussing the upcoming election with Sykkuno, a creator whose digital identity is an anime inspired demi human with cat ears.

These two worlds collided last week (October 23, 2024) when Sanders joined a Twitch live stream hosted by superstar creators Pokimane and Valkyrae with guests including the Star Wars actor Mark Hamill (per Polygon).The stream was an opportunity for the octogenarian to take questions on politics as he expressed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, the focus switched when Sykkuno introduced Sanders to Virtual YouTubers, a type of content creation where creators use motion capture software to present themselves as a virtual persona – also known as VTubing.

Bringing Sanders up-to-speed on these digital personas created a mainstream media moment for VTubing. But what may have been novel to Sanders is nothing new in the world of live streaming.

VTubing has been enjoying a significant spike in popularity that is putting such creators on equal terms with on-camera streamers when it comes to earnings and visibility on social platforms.  

A VTuber known as Ironmouse was temporarily the most subscribed to streamer on Twitch in September 2024 when her subathon pushed active subscribers to more than 200,000. This comes after the streamer was named content creator of the year at the 2023 Game Awards.  

There are also examples of popular streamers either switching to VTubing (such as Larxa) or interchanging between on camera and avatar. Skykkuno is a creator whose community has grown used to him switching between the two.

Why do creators VTube?

Ask the VTubing community why they engage with viewers in this way prompts a range of answers (full responses can be found on Reddit).

1.    Accessibility

VTubing enables body-conscious creators to live stream without viewers focusing on how they look in real life. One VTuber described it as giving their voice a face that moves without putting their own out there for people to judge.

In these instances, VTubing personas are a democratisation tool that is widening the funnel to aspiring creators who feel uncomfortable in front of the camera or want to maintain their privacy.

2.      Creativity

Aspiring VTubers often pay artists to build an avatar that can be integrated into their streaming set up. However, there are also creators who are attracted by the storytelling process of designing a character, developing a persona and building a backstory.

Creating a VTuber from scratch is a complex process that involves integrating movement into the character’s features through a process known as rigging. 2D personas are easier to rig than 3D personas, with creators using programs such as Live2D to carry out the work.  

3.      Growth

VTubing enables content creators to grow their following bytapping into the VTubing community.

One creator described how VTubing enabled them to broadentheir audience base beyond those interested in the main game they streamed –Team Fight Tactics – to those who like to watch VTubers.  

4.     Scenes

VTubers can be a virtual signifier of the scene the content creator is building their community around.

While an on-camera streamer can wear T-shirt emblazoned with their favourite video game, or cosplay as their favourite character, a VTuber can interweave their hobbies and interests into virtual fabric of their avatar to make it easier to communicate commonality with viewers.

Why do viewers embrace VTubing?  

VTubing taps into a cross-entertainment sweet spot among younger consumers by blending anime visuals with gaming content and interactive social media behaviours.

Analysis of Twitch weekly active users in Q2, 2024 shows 21%are fans of anime shows compared to a 9% consumer average. They also spend an average of 11.3 hours per week playing video games compared the 5.9 hours of the average consumer.

So, the question is, will VTubing just be confined to Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok or can it evolve from super serving a significant niche to creating a broader cultural trend that impacts mainstream entertainment?

The answer is that VTubing is just one part of wider movement that is encouraging consumers to interact with digital personas. VTubing occupies a middle-ground between on-camera creators and AI-powered virtual influencers.

But as MIDiA highlighted in its "Virtual influencers" report, the latter has already penetrated western entertainment culture by amassing audiences on par with superstar content creators. Brand awareness of the virtual influencer Lil Miquela reached 40% across the UK and US in Q3 2023, compared to 61% for YouTube’s Mr Beast.

Virtual influencing is still in its infancy. However, early signs suggest that consumer engagement does not hinge upon what portion of the creator is human, but how relatable they are based on their persona or scene.

It’s a similar story with AI-powered chatbots. The process of engaging with a digital identity is often overlooked if the output exceeds the user’s expectations.

What could eventually tip the balance is AI creation tools.

Consumers are already taking steps to experiment with their own digital personas from enhancing corporate headshots to turning old family photos into videos. VTubing, virtual influencers and AI tools are all part of the evolutionary forces that are encouraging consumers to accept that digital identity is fluid.

When it comes to content creation, what these forces prove is that audience connection may eventually be less about the personality a creator has and more about the persona a creator can forge.