Valkyrae Biography: Age, 100 Thieves, Career & Personal Life

Rachell Hofstetter, better known as Valkyrae, is an American livestreamer, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and entertainment personality. She became widely known for gaming content on Twitch and YouTube, particularly during the Fortnite and Among Us eras. She later expanded her career through ownership in the gaming organization 100 Thieves, acting projects, television hosting, and the creative company Hihi Studios.

Born on January 8, 1992, Valkyrae is 34 years old as of October 29, 2026. Her career has taken her from working retail jobs to building businesses and helping produce original entertainment.

Who Is Valkyrae?

Valkyrae is the professional name of Rachell Hofstetter, an American content creator and businesswoman best known for livestreaming video games. She joined 100 Thieves in 2018 and became a co-owner in April 2021. Alongside gaming, she has worked in voice acting, television, and creative production through Hihi Studios.

Valkyrae Biography and Quick Facts

Valkyrae Age and Birthday

Valkyrae was born on January 8, 1992, making her 34 years old as of October 29, 2026. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn.

She was born in Moses Lake, Washington, and spent her early years in Washington state before eventually moving to California.

Her birthday also has a connection to an important career milestone. On January 8, 2025, she returned to Twitch after approximately five years of exclusive livestreaming on YouTube. The occasion coincided with her 33rd birthday and the tenth anniversary of her streaming career.

Valkyrae Real Name and Early Life

Valkyrae’s publicly known real name is Rachell Hofstetter. She is also commonly referred to as Rae, the nickname incorporated into her online identity.

She grew up in Washington and has publicly discussed her Filipino and German family background.

Video games interested her long before she imagined making a career from them. In a February 2026 interview with PEOPLE, she recalled discovering gaming around age six at a babysitter’s home.

That interest continued as she grew older, although a future in online entertainment was not part of a conventional career plan.

Education and Jobs Before Fame

Before becoming a full-time content creator, Hofstetter attended community college while working several jobs.

Her employment history included working at a bank, car wash, arcade, restaurant, and GameStop.

GameStop was particularly connected to her interests because she enjoyed discussing games and following new releases. Around this period, she also developed a gaming-focused Instagram presence.

Some of her followers encouraged her to try livestreaming. The suggestion appealed to her because she could play games while interacting directly with viewers instead of spending additional time editing videos.

At first, she continued balancing her employment responsibilities with streaming. Eventually, her income from online content began to exceed what she earned at her other jobs.

She gradually left those positions and began streaming professionally.

How Did Valkyrae Become Famous?

Valkyrae built her audience through consistent livestreaming, gaming collaborations, and a willingness to share her personality alongside gameplay.

Her early popularity grew on Twitch, where viewers followed her sessions across different game genres.

Fortnite contributed significantly to her growing visibility during 2018. That year also brought a major professional opportunity when she joined 100 Thieves.

Her career expanded considerably after she signed an exclusive livestreaming agreement with YouTube in January 2020.

Although the transition required her audience to follow her to another platform, YouTube eventually became the home of some of her most successful content.

The popularity of Among Us during 2020 gave her another major boost. The game’s social deception mechanics created entertaining moments when she played with fellow streamers.

Her appeal depended on more than gaming skill. Viewers became familiar with her reactions, humor, group dynamics, and interactions with other creators.

By the end of 2020, she had become one of the most recognizable personalities in gaming livestreaming and won Content Creator of the Year at The Game Awards.

Valkyrae Twitch Career

Valkyrae started livestreaming on Twitch in 2015.

Her early broadcasts helped her develop a community while she was still working conventional jobs. She played various titles, including story-driven and action-oriented games.

As her audience expanded, regular streaming became financially sustainable.

Her association with 100 Thieves in 2018 introduced her to a larger network of gaming professionals and creators.

She continued streaming on Twitch until the beginning of 2020, when she moved to YouTube under an exclusive arrangement.

That departure was a change in platform, not the end of her streaming career.

Years later, she returned to Twitch after her YouTube exclusivity ended.

Valkyrae YouTube Career

In January 2020, Valkyrae announced an exclusive livestreaming deal with YouTube.

The arrangement gave her greater financial stability and opportunities to develop her content beyond individual gaming broadcasts.

The switch initially involved rebuilding some viewing habits among her followers, but it eventually became a defining stage of her career.

Her livestreams during the Among Us boom attracted considerable attention. Sessions featuring other well-known creators introduced her to viewers outside her earlier gaming audience.

The success helped establish her as a major presence in YouTube Gaming.

Her activities also expanded into conversations, reactions, collaborative content, and videos that reflected her growing interests beyond individual games.

Winning The Game Awards’ Content Creator of the Year honor in 2020 further recognized her achievements during this period.

Why Did Valkyrae Return to Twitch?

Valkyrae returned to Twitch on January 8, 2025, following the completion of her exclusive YouTube streaming contracts.

She had signed three agreements during approximately five years on YouTube.

With the exclusivity arrangements over, she gained the flexibility to livestream across more than one platform.

Rather than completely abandoning YouTube, she began experimenting with broadcasting to Twitch and YouTube audiences simultaneously.

This approach allowed viewers to watch on their preferred services and reduced dependence on a single streaming platform.

Her official X profile has subsequently described her as streaming on both Twitch and YouTube.

The change reflects a broader development in her career: streaming remains important, but it is no longer her only professional focus.

Valkyrae and 100 Thieves

100 Thieves is a gaming, esports, and lifestyle organization founded by former professional player Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag.

Valkyrae joined the organization in October 2018 as a content creator.

At that stage, her professional connection centered on representing the brand through gaming content and collaborations.

On April 7, 2021, 100 Thieves announced that Valkyrae and fellow creator Jack “CouRageJD” Dunlop had become co-owners.

The change represented an important distinction in her professional status.

As a creator, she contributed to the organization’s audience and public identity. As a co-owner, she also became part of its ownership group.

Her involvement helped illustrate how digital entertainers could develop professional opportunities extending beyond sponsorships and streaming contracts.

100 Thieves continues to list her as a co-owner on its official creator page.

Although her ownership position is public, the precise percentage of her equity and the value of her individual stake have not been reliably disclosed.

Valkyrae Gaming Career and Popular Games

Valkyrae’s gaming content has evolved as both her interests and online gaming trends have changed.

Fortnite

Fortnite played a major role in her early popularity. Its competitive gameplay and social streaming community helped her connect with viewers and other creators.

Among Us

Among Us became one of the defining games of her YouTube career.

Its discussions, accusations, teamwork, and surprising outcomes suited group livestreaming. Her collaborations during this period produced many memorable interactions.

Minecraft

Minecraft provided opportunities for collaborative worlds, exploration, and creative gameplay.

Its flexibility also allowed creators with different gaming styles to participate in the same sessions.

Grand Theft Auto V Roleplay

GTA V roleplay added improvised storytelling and character interactions to her content.

This genre placed more emphasis on collaborative entertainment than traditional competitive play.

Variety Streaming

Beyond specific titles, Valkyrae has developed a variety-streaming identity combining gameplay, group conversations, reactions, and creator collaborations.

Her career shows how a livestreaming audience can become invested in a creator’s personality instead of following only one game.

Valkyrae and Hihi Studios

Hihi Studios is a media company co-founded by Valkyrae, with creative ambitions extending beyond traditional livestreaming.

The company focuses on developing original stories and entertainment projects, particularly work influenced by anime, manga, and digital storytelling.

Its business model provides Valkyrae with an opportunity to help build original creative properties rather than exclusively appearing in other companies’ content.

Bad Influence

One of Hihi Studios’ documented projects is Bad Influence, developed in collaboration with Otherly Productions.

The sci-fi action series launched on WEBTOON in 2025. It follows a protagonist named Nel through a seemingly cheerful world hiding darker realities.

The series’ first season reached its finale with Episode 30 on January 1, 2026.

Readers can find it on the official Bad Influence WEBTOON page.

Apollyon

Hihi Studios also collaborated on Apollyon, a fantasy-action manga developed with Brandon Chen’s Inspired Productions and GlobalComix.

The project’s first chapter launched in September 2025.

Unlike a mere development announcement, Apollyon has published material available through Hihi Studios’ GlobalComix publisher profile.

Future Creative Projects

In her February 2026 PEOPLE interview, Valkyrae discussed ambitions involving original entertainment, including work on a video game.

She has also expressed an interest in contributing to film and animation projects from behind the scenes.

These ambitions should be distinguished from completed releases. Her comments about a game in development do not establish a release date or finished product.

Valkyrae Acting and Voice-Acting Career

Valkyrae has expanded into acting, voice performances, and television hosting.

These appearances reflect her broader move into entertainment, although her streaming career remains the foundation of her public recognition.

Sonic Prime

Valkyrae provided the English voice of Squad Commander Red in the animated television series Sonic Prime.

The role demonstrated how her experience performing for a live audience could translate into character-based entertainment.

The Family Plan

She appeared in The Family Plan, the 2023 action-comedy film starring Mark Wahlberg.

The project added a mainstream film credit to her entertainment experience.

Iron Lung

Valkyrae is credited among the additional voice performers in Iron Lung, the 2026 science-fiction horror film directed by Mark Fischbach, also known as Markiplier.

Her involvement was a voice contribution rather than a leading screen role.

Inside: USA

In 2025, Valkyrae and Fanum hosted Inside: USA, the American edition of the reality competition series associated with the Sidemen.

Netflix confirmed their hosting roles in its official coverage of the show.

This assignment demonstrated her growing presence in entertainment formats outside gaming livestreams.

Valkyrae Business Ventures

Valkyrae’s professional activities now include more than producing content for social platforms.

Her best-documented business interests include co-ownership in 100 Thieves and the development of Hihi Studios.

She has also participated in fashion, brand collaborations, and other creative ventures.

These projects serve different purposes. Gaming broadcasts support her creator identity, while studio development offers a way to participate in the ownership and creation of entertainment properties.

What Happened to Valkyrae’s RFLCT Brand?

In October 2021, Valkyrae was associated with the launch of RFLCT, a skincare brand marketed toward people who spent considerable time using digital screens.

Its promotional claims about protection from blue-light-related skin effects quickly attracted scrutiny.

Critics questioned whether sufficient scientific evidence supported the marketing.

The controversy was widely reported, and Valkyrae publicly addressed the situation.

On October 30, 2021, the company announced that the brand was being discontinued.

RFLCT’s closure became a notable setback in her entrepreneurial career. It also illustrated the importance of credible evidence and clear product claims when creators enter consumer-product businesses.

Valkyrae subsequently moved forward with other professional ventures, including Hihi Studios.

Valkyrae Awards and Achievements

Valkyrae has received awards and recognition for her work in livestreaming and digital entertainment.

Her 2020 Game Awards victory recognized her growing influence in online entertainment during a major period of expansion.

The Streamy recognition reflected her success in livestreaming, while the Forbes selection acknowledged her professional position in gaming.

The Sapphire Award provided further recognition of her contribution to the streaming community.

These distinctions demonstrate several sides of her career, from audience development to broader business and entertainment recognition.

Valkyrae Family and Personal Background

Valkyrae has spoken publicly about growing up in Washington and her Filipino and German heritage.

Her family has played a meaningful role in how she discusses her professional accomplishments.

In her February 2026 PEOPLE interview, she explained that streaming success allowed her to support her mother financially. She also described helping provide housing for her mother and sister.

These personal milestones offer context for why financial stability mattered when she began working professionally in entertainment.

While some family details are public, her relatives are not all entertainment personalities. Information about their private lives should remain separate from her professional biography unless they have chosen to share it publicly.

Valkyrae Boyfriend and Relationship Status

Valkyrae previously had a publicly discussed relationship with content creator Michael “Sonii” Sherman.

The two were associated romantically for several years, with a publicly reported breakup in 2020.

Valkyrae has since spoken about being more careful when discussing personal relationships online.

As of October 2026, there is insufficient reliable public information to confirm a current boyfriend or relationship.

Gaming collaborations, social media interactions, and fan speculation should not be treated as proof that she is romantically involved with another creator.

Valkyrae Height

Some entertainment databases publish a height measurement for Valkyrae, but sufficiently reliable independent confirmation is limited.

For that reason, an exact height is not presented here as an established biographical fact.

Valkyrae Net Worth and Income Sources

Valkyrae’s exact personal net worth has not been publicly verified.

Celebrity finance websites publish estimates, but they generally do not provide access to her complete financial records, contractual arrangements, liabilities, or ownership valuations.

Her documented professional activities include livestreaming, video content creation, business ownership, entertainment appearances, and commercial partnerships.

Ownership in 100 Thieves is particularly important to distinguish from personal wealth. A valuation of the entire organization cannot be treated as the value of her individual equity stake.

Without verified financial disclosures, assigning her a precise net worth would be speculative.

Valkyrae Career Timeline

Valkyrae Official Social Media Accounts

Valkyrae maintains a public presence across several major platforms.

• Twitch: twitch.tv/valkyrae
• YouTube: youtube.com/@Valkyrae
• Instagram: instagram.com/valkyrae
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@valkyrae
• X: x.com/Valkyrae

Follower and subscriber counts change regularly, so readers should check the respective profiles for current figures.

Interesting Facts About Valkyrae

1. She began streaming while working several jobs and attending community college part-time.
2. Her early interest in gaming dates back to approximately age six.
3. She joined 100 Thieves in 2018 before becoming a co-owner in April 2021.
4. She returned to Twitch on her birthday in January 2025, approximately ten years after beginning her streaming career.
5. She voiced Squad Commander Red in the animated series Sonic Prime.
6. Hihi Studios has been involved in published digital comics and manga, including Bad Influence and Apollyon.
7. She has discussed wanting to help develop original entertainment projects behind the camera.

Frequently Asked Questions About Valkyrae

What is Valkyrae’s real name?

Valkyrae’s real name is Rachell Hofstetter. She is commonly known by the nickname Rae.

How old is Valkyrae?

Valkyrae is 34 years old as of October 29, 2026.

When is Valkyrae’s birthday?

She was born on January 8, 1992.

Where is Valkyrae from?

She is from Washington state in the United States and was born in Moses Lake.

Is Valkyrae a co-owner of 100 Thieves?

Yes. She became a co-owner in April 2021 and remains listed as such on the organization’s official website.

Does Valkyrae stream on Twitch or YouTube?

She has streamed on both Twitch and YouTube since returning to Twitch in January 2025.

Does Valkyrae have a boyfriend?

Her current relationship status has not been reliably confirmed through public information.

What is Valkyrae’s net worth?

There is no publicly verified figure establishing her exact personal net worth.

What is Hihi Studios?

Hihi Studios is a creative media company co-founded by Valkyrae to develop original entertainment and storytelling projects.

Has Valkyrae appeared in movies and TV shows?

Yes. Her credits include The Family Plan, voice work on Sonic Prime and Iron Lung, and hosting Inside: USA.

Conclusion

Valkyrae’s career began with gaming content produced alongside ordinary jobs and developed into a broader presence in streaming, business, and entertainment.

Her work with 100 Thieves, Hihi Studios, and television and film productions illustrates how her professional interests have expanded over time.

While she remains closely associated with gaming, her ongoing projects increasingly involve creating and developing entertainment beyond livestreams.

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