Top 10 Women Video Game Streamers
Gaming has been a largely male-dominated activity since its creation, despite female programmers such as Carol Shaw playing a big role in early video game creation. These days, data shows that women play video games almost as much as men do, with 41.5% of gamers consisting of women. Despite this, female video gamer streamers don’t get nearly as much attention as their male counterparts. Here are some female streamers that should definitely be on your radar.
Who Are the Most Popular Women's Video Game Streamers in the World?
- Pokimane
- Valkyrae
- Loserfruit
- KittyPlays
- Ironmouse
- ItsHafu
- LilyPichu
- Saddummy
- Chicalive
- Nihachu
1. Pokimane
- Most followers out of all female Twitch streamers
- Made it to Twitch’s Top 100 Streamers in 2021
- Co-founder of OfflineTV
Perhaps one of the most well-known female video game streamers is Imane Anys, known as “Pokimane” online. She is considered one of the trailblazers for female gamers on Twitch. She was born on May 14, 1996, and is Moroccan-Canadian. She is the most followed woman on the platform, boasting an impressive 7.8 million followers, which is also the seventh-highest out of all streamers on Twitch.
Anys is mostly known for streaming games such as League of Legends and Fortnite. Throughout the years, she’s been streaming less often due to her own mental health, but she still boasts an impressive average audience of about 21,000, demonstrating her popularity on Twitch. In 2017, she co-founded a content house called OfflineTV that allowed her and her fellow streamers to create content together outside of gaming and expand their horizons.
2. Valkyrae
- Won “Content Creator of the Year” at The Game Awards 2020
- Co-owner of 100 Thieves
- Made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022
Rachell Hofstetter, also known as “Valkyrae,” is a well-known video game streamer who has been awarded for her contributions to the gaming community as a content creator and a streamer. Born on January 8, 1992, Valkyrae got her start in professional gaming when she joined 100 Thieves, a competitive esports team, where she became their first female member and content creator. She would eventually co-own the company in 2021.
In 2022, she was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for the gaming category, demonstrating her influence in the gaming world. In 2020, she was also awarded the Content Creator of the Year award at the 2020 Game Awards, showing that she has a loyal following. She is a big advocate for more representation for women in competitive sports, often choosing to play on all-female teams when playing esports competitively.
3. Loserfruit
- 2.6 followers on Twitch
- Received her own Fortnite skin
- Leading streamer in Fortnite Summer Smash
Kathleen Veronica Belsten, also known by her online aliases Loserfruit and Lufu, is an Australian streamer born on February 22, 1993. She has the second-highest following on Twitch, right behind Pokimane, at 2.6 million.
She specializes in Fortnite streams, with her contributions to the game’s popularity being recognized by Epic Games, the company behind the game. She was the second content creator to ever receive their own skin in the game. Additionally, she was one of the leading streamers during the inaugural Fortnite Summer Smash, a Fortnite tournament that was hosted at the Australian Open in 2019. She is considered one of the most influential Fortnite players on Twitch.
4. KittyPlays
- 75th most followed account on Twitch
- Started Kitty Plays
- Nominated for a Shorty Award
Born on February 16, 1992, Kristen Valnicek, also known as KittyPlays, is a Canadian Twitch streamer who is most well-known for her Fortnite streams. She initially went to university to become a surgeon before switching her major to business. In 2013, she started her Twitch channel.
She has been outspoken about the struggles of internet fame and being a female gamer, which is her inspiration for founding Team Kitty, a network of female gamers created to help other female gaming content creators gain followers and grow their own platforms. She was nominated for the 10th annual Shorty Awards in gaming.
5. Ironmouse
- Most active paid subscriptions of all Twitch streamers
- Highest-paid English language Vtuber
- Nominated for a Streamy
Ironmouse is one of the most popular virtual Youtubers, better known as Vtubers, a form of streaming using a virtual avatar to avoid using one’s face that originated in Japan and is slowly rising in popularity all over the world. Ironmouse is a Puerto Rican-American gamer who had initially wanted to pursue a career as an opera singer. However, she was forced to give up on that career after being diagnosed with common variable immune deficiency (CVID), a chronic illness which left her bedridden and isolated.
Ironmouse took up streaming as a way to pass the time and gain interaction after being isolated for so long. She became the most subscribed female streamer on Twitch in March of 2022 and had the largest number of active subscribers at the time, at 172,000. In 2022, she was nominated for a Streamy for best Vtuber.
6. ItsHafu
- Dreamhack Summer 2011 champion
- Appeared in Smasher’s Legends of Gaming
- Won Pogchamps chess tournament in 2020
Rumay Wang, better known online as Hafu, was born on April 18, 1991. She is from Massachusetts and dropped out of college in order to focus on her gaming career, playing esports such as World of Warcraft, Bloodline Champions, and Hearthstone. In 2011, she and her team won first place in Bloodline Champions 3vs3 at the 2011 Summer Dreamhack hosted in Sweden, winning them $6,000 in prize money. She has continued to play in professional gaming tournaments since then, focusing on Hearthstone.
Rumay was featured as a coach in the esports show, Legends of Gaming, guiding other esports players as they competed in various games. She was also the champion of the Pogachamps chess tournament in September 2020. She is open and outspoken about the harassment she faces as a female gamer, hoping that sharing her stories will help other female gamers feel more comfortable in the gaming world.
7. LilyPichu
- Won a Streamer award
- Featured in a series of ads for League of Legends
- Nominated for a Shorty award
Lily Ki, better known as LilyPichu online, is an American streamer of Korean descent who is known for streaming a variety of activities, including gaming, music, and art. She was one of the most popular Twitch streamers during her time on the platform. She signed an exclusive deal to move to Youtube in July of 2022.
Lily was nominated for two Streamer awards: one for best League of Legends streamer and one for Best Music streamer, and she won the latter award. She was also nominated for a Shorty award for the best streamer.
8. Sadummy
- Third-most watched female streamer in 2022
- Over 650k followers on Twitch
- Most watched female Korean video game streamer
Saddummy is a South Korean streamer with over 650,000 followers on Twitch. She is most well known for streaming League of Legends on her Twitch channel. She was the third-most watched female video game streamer on Twitch, and the most watched female Korean language streamer, with over 14 million views in 2022
9. Chicalive
- Former member of Team SoloMid
- Nominated for a Shorty Award
- Participated in multiple Fortnite tournaments
Maria Lopez, also called Chicalive, is a Puerto Rican Streamer who lives in the US and streams in both English and Spanish, gaining her a large following from different parts of the world. She is best known for playing Fortnite, playing in tournaments such as Keemstar’s Friday Fortnite tournament and the Summer Skirmish.
She is a former member of the competitive esports team, Team SoloMid (TSM), and was the first woman to join the team. She was a finalist for the 12th annual Shorty award for best Twitch streamer.
10. Nihachu
- 2.6 million followers on Twitch
- Content creator for Guild Esports
- Part of a popular group of Minecraft streamers
Niki, known as Nihachu online, is a German Twitch streamer who is part of the DreamSMP, a group of Minecraft content creators. She started her Twitch channel after moving from Germany to Switzerland and finding it difficult to make friends, leading her to seek companionship on the internet. She has amassed 2.6 million followers on Twitch.
She is beloved for her wholesome and positive attitude, stating that she wishes to make gaming and the internet a safer and more positive place for everyone.
FAQ
Who is the most popular female streamer?
Pokimane is considered the most popular female video game streamer. Although Amouranth had the most Twitch viewers over the past year, it is projected that Pokimane would have surpassed her if not for the latter taking several breaks throughout the year. She is also the most followed female Twitch streamer, with nearly eight million followers on Twitch.
Who is the richest female video game streamer?
Pokimane is the richest female video game streamer, with a net worth of between $2 million and $3 million. She is believed to earn around $400,000 to $500,000 a year from Twitch, with additional earnings from sponsorships.