100 Thieves co-owner Valkyrae shoots back at sexist comments

Olivia Richman Published 08/05/2021

Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter becoming co-owner of 100 Thieves was a major moment for the streamer and her fans. But the accomplishment was soured by a lot of sexist backlash from within the gaming community.

While Valkyrae has become the most-watched female streamer, even beating Imane “Pokimane” Anys, she is not yet as popular as the top male streamers in the male-dominated gaming and esports industry. Female streamers often face backlash from some viewers. A common misconception is that it’s “easy” for a female streamer to get views by relying on her appearance, despite Valkyrae and others putting in full-time hours of streaming or more, playing games and interacting with fans all the while.

It’s unfortunately no surprise that Valkyrae received a lot of harassment when she became co-owner of 100 Thieves. She decided to stand up to the haters in a tweet shared from her personal account. According to Valkyrae, people have been telling her that she was able to become co-owner of a “multimillion dollar company” thanks to her “tits.”

“These types of comments downplaying success because of who you are will continue forever, no matter what,” Valkyrae said. “If we’re all gonna get shit on regardless, might as well get yo bags at the same time.”

“TDLR; easiest way to become a co-owner of a multimillion $ company is to have tits”

these types of comments downplaying success because of who you are will continue FOREVER, no matter what

If we’re all gunna get shit on regardless, might as well get yo bags at the same time????
— rae☀️ (@itsraechill) May 7, 2021

After her opening up about the harassment, the streaming community rallied behind Valkyrae and showered her with support. Esports personality Jake Lucky noted that people will say things just because they are behind a screen and keyboard. 100 Thieves vice president of talent, Jackson Dahl, tweeted that Valkyrae became a co-owner because she’s “one of the most entertaining, inspiring, and persistent creators on the internet for half a decade.”

It seems like it will take more than some low-hanging sexist insults to bring Valkyrae down. For now, Valkyrae is already streaming on YouTube, putting the comments behind her.

Valkyrae and Pokimane are often compared and discussed because they are the top female streamers in a male-dominated industry. The two successful content creators also lived in the same house together, along with other popular streamers. But Valkryae and Pokimane are not related.

The lease on the streamers’ Los Angeles home is up and all of the streamers are considering different paths. In a recent stream, Valkyrae said she wanted to try living by herself.

“I kind of like the idea of just going out into my living room with nothing on and my hair in a bun… It’d be kind of nice to just have full control over my environment,” Valkyrae explained.

She added that there is no drama or beef between her, Pokimane, or any other streamer in the house.

Is Valkyrae in OfflineTV?

Valkyrae often streams with members of OfflineTV and hangs out with OfflineTV streamers IRL. But Valkyrae is a content creator for 100 Thieves.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile