A Vtuber Just Became Twitch’s Most-Subscribed Streamer Ever

Ironmouse is a Vtuber, meaning she streams as an anime avatar rather than as herself, and she just became the most subscribed channel in the history of Twitch. The record-breaking run capped off a subathon that saw her overtake Kai Cenat with a campaign that was largely in service of raising money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation.

Ironmouse, who won content creator of the year at the 2023 Game Awards, suffers herself from a chronic illness called common variable immune deficiency and has frequently launched subathon drives to raise money for charity and drive awareness toward good causes. The latest record-breaking run saw the Vtuber hit 314,146 active Twitch subscribers, eclipsing the 306,000 record previously set by Kai Cenat last year. “Shouting it from the rooftops!!!!,” Twitch tweeted yesterday. “She really is THE Demon Queen!!!!! 💜”

Ironmouse was able to accomplish the incredible feat in part thanks to the gacha-like mechanics around the Amazon-owned platform’s Subtember event that coincides with its annual Twitchcon. As Aftermath reports, anyone who donates during this funding drive has a chance to score extra paid subscriptions gifted directly from Twitch. While five paid subs guarantees at least one bonus freebie from the company, it can actually choose to gift several more. This mechanic appeared to net at least 12,000 extra paid subscriptions from Twitch alone. That slot machine incentive structure, coupled with paid subs being discounted throughout the month, probably played a role in propelling Ironmouse over the top.

While the money is for a good cause, paid subscriber counts are also an unofficial measure of clout on the platform, and a way for streamers to entertain with friendly rivalries. Kai Cenat, who’s recently made headlines for his elaborate marathon streams of Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, has teased a comeback to eventually beat Ironmouse’s record. Like any sports franchise or pro wrestling rivalry, the back-and-forth record-breaking is one of the most reliable streaming metas for driving engagement.

“I want to go ahead and congratulate Ironmouse for breaking my record,” he told his viewers (via IGN). “But look though, she really did that but I promised one thing to my supporters if that was broken. So, we’re gonna have to see what happens in the future.”