Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter is back playing GTA RP again, and it’s dragged her in big time. The YouTube star says she has a “problem” after getting sucked back into roleplaying, and doesn’t intend on stopping anytime soon.
GTA RP comes and goes, in terms of streaming popularity at least. However, when it rains, it pours.
GTA V, which first released in September 2013, topped the Twitch charts in 2021 for the most popular game on the platform — and it wasn’t even remotely close. All of that interaction was spurred by NoPixel and other roleplaying servers booming, with personalities getting involved.
Valkyrae has fleeted in-and-out of the space. Now though, she’s caught on — hook, line, and sinker. The YouTube star has sunk dozens of hours into GTA RP over the last two weeks since re-signing with the Google-owned platform, and it’s becoming a “problem”.
It’s not a big one, but the star can’t help but see the funny side.
“Streaming GTA, watching GTA streams, dreaming about GTA, listening to GTA music on the way to meet GTA friends, then streaming GTA after. I admit I have a problem,” she said on Twitter.
There’s also a change in her attitude towards GTA RP that has spurred on the excitement — and addiction.
“I feel like I’m watching a reality TV show and it’s so funny to me. It’s insane, and honestly, I think the difference between now and last time when I played GTA is I’ve made so many friends now and I’m more comfortable,” she explained on stream.
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“Last time I was relying on Chang Gang to be online to feel okay because I was relying on Sykkuno to hang out with me in game. He became a part of a whole another gang, doing his own thing, and I realized ‘I don’t have anyone to play with’ and I was too scared to talk to people.
“This time I’m just pushing myself and I’m so glad I am.”
https://twitter.com/itsraechill/status/1494038969427718146
All she is doing on stream now is watching a few videos, maybe playing some Valorant, but diving into the NoPixel world as Ray Mond and just hanging out with some of streaming’s biggest names.
The streams have been incredibly fun for her, saying as much on social media: “GTA V RP has been pure comedy, so happy to be part of it! Streams have been insane.”
Valkyrae isn’t the only streamer addicted to GTA RP right now. Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel and Sykkuno have been playing more often, to name two, and GTA RP is currently the second most popular game on Twitch in 2021, trailing League of Legends. It has more than 150 million hours watched since January 1.
When the GTA RP itch will ever be fully scratched for Valkyrae remains to be seen, but she along with a bunch of other streamers are back and the roleplaying community is booming yet again.