Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter’s skincare line RFLCT has been terminated after backlash from the community.
YouTube streamer Valkyrae’s venture into the skincare industry has reached a dead end after two weeks of drama and controversy. The website for the product has been taken down from the internet, with a message that reads, “RFLCT is no longer available.”
“While we believe in the formulations created, after further reflection, we have decided to move forward on new paths, effectively terminating the RFLCT brand,” the website says.
RFLCT was bashed by the gaming community for being a product of pseudoscience to manipulate Valkyrae’s impressionable young audience. The criticism started on day one of the release and continued to gain traction despite Valkyrae’s rather hollow explanation. After almost two weeks, the project has been axed, disappearing from the internet.
The news came amid rumors that Valkyrae was trying to quit the project after the community response. Leaked screenshots between Valkyrae and Twitch streamer Ludwig revealed that Valkyrae wasn’t on the same page with the firm to keep the research from the public. The streamer was actively trying to exit the contract that ties her with ULTA and RFLCT to clear out her brand image.
The recent development suggests that Valkyrae was likely successful in breaking the contract. Or, the company decided to dissolve the company considering the negative image created around RFLCT that would impact sales in the future. It wasn’t just blue-lighted saga that caused fans to question the legitimacy of the products, but vague ingredients and incomplete information added to the concerns of skincare enthusiasts.
Now that the dust has settled, fans eagerly await Valkyrae to explain her side of the story. Since the streamer spent two years working on RFLCT, fans are still not satisfied with her signing in on a shady project. It remains to be seen if Valkyrae returns to streaming anytime soon or continues to keep a low profile. Whatever the case, the whole controversy serves as a valuable lesson for other influencers to research sponsors and companies before getting involved.
Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.
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