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The VTuber community has expanded over the years, and in 2025, the number of active creators with digital avatars continues to grow. Popular corporations like Hololive and Nijisanji, and even newer agencies like VShojo, have been offering more contracts, adding to their respective rosters of VTubers from varied linguistic backgrounds. That said, the industry's growth hasn’t come without controversy.
Clips and reports of VTuber drama can be seen across TikTok, Instagram, and X alike, with many showing instances ranging from creator bans to online harassment. Notably, April 2025 was one of the community's most dramatic months, featuring multiple unexpected "graduations" and serious allegations.
This article will offer a brief look at the five biggest VTuber controversies of 2025 so far.
Note: The entries are arranged in no particular order.
Looking at some of the most viral VTuber controversies 2025 has witnessed so far
2025 has seen multiple cases of VTuber drama so far, including contract terminations, updated policies, and bans. VTubers have extended their reach across multiple categories on streaming platforms like Kick and Twitch, showcasing a variety of avatars with different personalities.
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The industry's growing size also poses challenges, as some creators may resort to questionable tactics to stand out. In late 2024, Twitch updated its policy on how certain models can be displayed, especially when it comes to explicit content.
This change has affected multiple creators. Notably, Twitch Partner Lucy Pyre was suspended from the platform after her avatar removed their skirt to reveal a "bathing suit." That said, here are five more instances of VTuber controversy that have sparked discussion online in recent months.
1) The Sinder "manipulation" controversy
Sinder, a Vtuber with a fox-tailed, fire-themed avatar and over 305,000 followers on Twitch, became a topic of discussion online after Nanoless, a fellow community member, leveled allegations of manipulation against her.
Essentially, Nanoless claimed that Sinder, along with her manager "RED," had ulterior motives, "speaking ill of other creators and spreading rumors." These allegations and more were compiled into a Google Document titled Terminating my work with Sinder and shared publicly on X.
Leading up to her post, Nanoless offered some context, calling out Sinder and RED for acts of betrayal:
"I wanted to share my experience with Sinder and Red manipulating me, using me, and dragging me into drama, while sabotaging, slandering & spreading lies about people I thought were her closest friends. Not only do I no longer wish to work with Sinder, but I want to share what I’ve endured over the years & shed light on what she has been doing behind people’s backs to protect artists and friends that may be experiencing something similar."
2) Asmongold being criticized by Nyara for spreading 'transphobic' narratives
In late May 2025, political commentator Zack "Asmongold" was targeted by VTuber Nyara for spreading "transphobia" while speaking about the LGBTQ+ community. Here's what Asmon had to say about transgender people in a May 22, 2025, broadcast:
"You have decided to attach yourself like a parasite to the LGBTQ+ community and turn into effectively a weapon for you to push this on children."
Nyara responded, voicing her thoughts on "trans kids" via an X post:
"Trans kids exist. They have always existed. People like Asmon are now trying to silence me by pushing the same rhetoric that was used against trans/gay people in Na*i Germany to justify the book burnings and murders."
3) Streamer Ririgaki's Twitch ban
The French-speaking, rat-girl-themed Twitch streamer Ririgaki was banned on the platform for reasons undisclosed after allegations of racism and misconduct piled up against her over the first few months of 2025.
Certain users on X, such as @Teelwi, accused her of enjoying lolicon anime, which features animations of young-looking characters in controversial settings and is often frowned upon:
"Riri's community is mostly minors... She just admitted being a Lolicon and she's proud of it"
Additionally, the VTuber was called out for multiple instances of racism, including the repeated use of the "N-word."
4) The Aliciaxlife and Katliente drama
The series of back-and-forths between VTuber Aliciaxlife and content creator Katliente became a significant topic of discussion after the former criticized the latter for exploiting her cancer diagnosis for views after releasing a video titled VTuber With Cancer Got Hacked.
In May 2025, Katliente addressed the controversy and took the video down, claiming that her editor had posted it without prior notice. Additionally, the YouTuber reached out to Aliciaxlife and apologized.
However, the VTuber did not accept the apology and claimed that Katliente was lying about why she didn't take the video down when it was first uploaded in November 2024:
"Hey there idiot, It’s me the person you exploited. Dont worry I showed all the screen shots in my video. It doesn’t save your ass. You said in your OWN WORDS 'I was too lazy to take down' and that 'taking down videos takes time'. You are a liar. You can pretend and act like your editor is the problem. But you are. You are a terrible person who thinks posting about my cancer is fine."
5) Kirsche Verstahl Twitch ban
In May 2025, VTuber Kirsche Verstahl received a one-day suspension for reading an erotic fanfiction that Twitch deemed to be a violation due to the broadcast of sexually explicit material.
An excerpt from an email addressing her ban read the following:
"Reason: Sexual Content. Broadcasting, uploading, soliciting, offering, or linking to p**nographic or s*xually explicit content, or offering or soliciting s*xual content or services in exchange for goods, services, or money (including cheers, Bits, subs, and in-game items)."
Supporters of Kirsche argued that the ban resulted from targeted harassment and mass reporting, while others cited her far-right ideologies as justification for the ban.
