The Real Reason Valkyrae Thinks RFLCT Hate Is 'Warranted'

Over the last few years, Valkyrae has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the streaming sphere. Not only has her exclusive YouTube contract netted her a healthy income, but it has also afforded her the freedom to take risks and collaborate with other big names and products. As part-owner of esports org 100 Thieves, Valkyrae has participated in multiple fashion collabs and launched her own apparel line. Unfortunately, her latest venture led to an unprecedented level of backlash for the streamer, which she now says was completely "warranted and valid."

On Oct. 19, Valkyrae announced the launch of RFLCT, a skin care line aimed at protecting users from the effects of blue light. As she explained in the announcement video for the product, "My entire career depends on me being glued to a screen. All of that screen time started to take a toll on my body and my skin." However, the RFLCT line has been accused of seemingly trying to profit off of an issue that doesn't really exist. Followers of the streamer immediately jumped into the comments of the RFLCT announcement to tell Valkyrae that blue light does not pose any significant health risk. 

The backlash was so immediate and fierce that Valkyrae quickly deleted her Twitter announcement, later telling fans that she had been advised to hold off on any further statements regarding RFLCT. That tweet was also removed shortly thereafter, but Valkyrae has finally offered more of an official response in the form of a voice clip shared to Twitter.

It seems as though Valkyrae may have made this statement against the advice of her reps, because she began the clip by saying that she's "probably not allowed" to say anything on the matter at this time. Valkyrae explained her silence leading up to now: "I've been waiting to speak and to stream until after I see how the RFLCT website has been updated."

With that out of the way, Valkyrae then acknowledged the criticisms from fans and explained that the rollout of RFLCT had not gone to her liking, either. According to the streamer, the website for the skin care line was meant to include a number of studies and testimonials that would further explain the science and importance of the product.

"All of the hate, the doubt, concerns and the criticism are all warranted and valid. I understand completely where you're all coming from," said Valkyrae. "I also was very upset and confused when I saw the website and there were no links to the studies or credits to the labs or the people that work behind the scenes to make RFLCT happen."

Valkyrae also explained that the website would soon be updated to contain the information she felt was necessary to properly explain the product, and that she will be planning a stream in the near future that should hopefully clear up any misconceptions from fans. "I will answer everything and I will talk about my experience, all later," she said.

While fans wait to hear what else Valkyrae has to say about the RFLCT drama, many of her Twitter followers have already praised her for speaking up. Others have expressed their belief that Valkyrae's intentions with the RFLCT launch were good, while others still think that people "behind the scenes" may have taken advantage of Valkyrae's good will and enthusiasm.

Regardless of what happened before RFLCT was announced, the cat is out of the bag, and the skin care line continues to draw criticism from fans and experts alike. Dermatologist/YouTuber Dr. Dray explained in a recent video that the product's BLPF (Blue Light Prevention Factor) is "like SPF, but for the screen." According to Dray, this is a "misleading" statement, because SPF is a tested measurement that denotes how well a product can protect users from burns — and there's no such metric for blue light. Comparatively, Dray explained that the RFLCT line's BLPF is "just a trademark; that's just a name that they came up with for their ingredients."

Dray concluded, "I think it can mislead consumers into thinking that the product has maybe been tested in the way that sunscreen would be tested to show protection against ... a sunburn."

Hopefully Valkyrae can clear the air a bit more with her fans when she returns to streaming. For now, it's looking like the debate over RFLCT will continue.