Valkyrae Admits The Real Truth About Her Streaming Break

Valkyrae's 2022 plans seemed just vague enough to worry fans. The streamer and co-owner of 100 Thieves announced that she had a new song in the works, but she didn't explain what kind of song it would be or when it would release. Soon after, on Jan. 15, Valkyrae explained to followers that she'd be doing one last stream, playing "Among Us" with her closest pals before taking some much-needed time off. "Today marks 2 years streaming on YouTube & my last stream for a few weeks," she wrote. True to her word, Valkyrae has been taking a break since then. Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy for her.

Valkyrae is clearly gearing up to announce something soon, teasing her fans on Twitter with an ominous tweet of the date Jan. 31. Until then, fans are left to wonder what's next for Valkyrae. In the meantime, Valkyrae is supposedly stepping away streaming — though she's maintained a semi-regular schedule of appearing on her friends' channels. She even joined Pokimane to go through her disgusting unban forms, which is no easy task. 

Still, joining a friends' stream here or there doesn't live up to Valkyrae's typical lengthy streams, and she seems to be feeling the lack of streaming in her life. While playing "Valorant" with some friends on Fuslie's channel, Valkyrae admitted that she's having a difficult time coping with her newfound free time, and that she misses gaming more regularly.

While most creators would relish the opportunity to slow down and rest, Valkyrae seemed to miss the hectic life of a streamer. On Fuslie's stream, another player asked Valkyrae how she was enjoying her break. "I am so miserable," she said. "I wanna stream so bad! You know how people want what they can't have? I want to stream, and I feel like I just can't. I have one more week." Sykkuno asked Rae what she wanted to play so badly that she couldn't take a short break. 

"There's so much to play! I actually was having a good time playing GTA, but then I had to stop," Valkyrae said. When Toast pointed out that Rae could continue playing "GTA 5" off-stream, she said that her fans needed to stay up to date on the story. It's true that "GTA 5" roleplaying groups create a cohesive story that viewers can piece together by watching many different streams, but Toast seemed skeptical of his friend's need to broadcast every moment. Valkyrae laughed, insisting that she produces "quality" storylines.

After the brief conversation about what Valkyrae's doing during her break, the team got to work organizing their "Valorant" strategy and getting on with the game. However, Rae's attitude toward her break, and her sadness over not being able to stream, raised an important question for some fans. Why did she take a break in the first place, and what's stopping her from returning?

Many fans suspect that Valkyrae is taking a break before announcing that she's changing platforms, finally moving on from YouTube. After Rae announced her anniversary "Among Us" stream, fans began wondering if a change could be coming. One viewer tweeted, "She has to make an announcement video before streaming again. Speculation is she will be switching platforms and possibly moving to Twitch." Others added that Twitch could be preparing to announce Valkyrae's arrival, especially since it hinted "big things are coming this year."

Others seemed to trust Valkyrae's business decisions, and noted that she deserves a break since she works so hard. "We're gonna miss you so much queen but I hope you enjoy your break and have some fun. We'll all be here when you come back," one fan tweeted. After the stream, Valkyrae tweeted, "see ya when i see ya!"

For now, fans are left to overanalyze Valkyrae's last words from her celebratory YouTube stream. "It's been a great two years," she said. "I can't believe it's over." Though Valkyrae may have meant that her days on YouTube are over, fans jumped to a different sort of conclusion, which Rae had to address on stream. 

"I'm not quitting," she clarified. "I will be streaming again in a few weeks." She also said she planned to remain active on her social media platforms, giving fans the Rae content they crave. Fans will have to wait out Valkyrae's break along with her while they anticipate her next move. 

Though Valkyrae fans have worried about her retirement, it seems that the streamer still loves getting online and interacting with fans. Hopefully, fans won't have to worry about her going away any time soon.