The Virtual YouTuber scene experienced a slight slowdown in growth during Q2 2025, but this pause doesn’t signal any underlying issues; the market continues to mature and expand. YouTube, the birthplace of VTubing, sustained its momentum by capturing over 64% of total watch time, while Twitch now hosts more than 60% of active VTuber channels, showing a diversification in where audiences engage with virtual talents.
According to a joint report by Streams Charts and VSTATS, agencies like Hololive continued to strengthen their position, bolstered by strategic moves such as Cover USA’s new Los Angeles office, which opened doors for collaborations with major brands and extended its global reach. While some top talents, such as Gawr Gura, graduated this quarter, the rise of independent VTubers is injecting fresh diversity into the ecosystem.
We have refined our Q1 data and confirmed that VTuber activity did not fall below 6,000 active creators during that period. However, the overall trend of a slight decrease in active VTubers has continued into Q2 2025.
The previous quarter remains a record-breaking period for the industry, with over 500 million hours watched. Q2 2025 also surpassed the 500 million mark, although it did not reach the Q1 peak. Overall, the quarter’s performance fluctuated within the margin of statistical error, with key metrics moving in a narrow range of about 0.5% to 2.5% up or down. For example, as shown in the viewership graph, watch time dipped slightly, but follower growth rates among creators increased during the quarter.
Demographically, the VTuber market continues to see growth in female creators, who now represent an even larger share of active channels. Additionally, organizational and shared channels, those managed by agencies or hosting multiple creators, have seen a modest increase in their presence.
In terms of country distribution, Japan maintained its lead with a 37% share, a slight dip from the previous quarter, while the United States held a solid second place. Overall, the VTuber market is becoming increasingly diverse, with the dominance of major demographics gradually eroding as creators from a wider range of countries join the scene.
Twitch continued to expand its presence among VTuber creators in Q2 2025, now hosting over 60% of active channels. More and more VTubers are choosing Twitch for its community-driven environment and better tools for engagement, even as YouTube remains deeply rooted in the culture of the scene.
Despite Twitch’s creator growth, YouTube still dominates in overall VTuber viewership. The platform even increased its share compared to Q1, now accounting for more than 64% of total Hours Watched.
The agency landscape remained relatively steady in Q2, with overall viewership holding firm compared to Q1. Hololive stood out as the notable exception, boosting its share to nearly a quarter of the entire VTuber market.
The biggest shake-up came in early Q3, when VShojo, once one of the leading VTuber agencies, abruptly announced it would cease operations and release its roster of talents, a move that sent shockwaves through the industry and underscored its volatility.
Another development that could soon influence the competitive landscape is the merger of Brave Group, the operator of VSPO!, with Korea’s StelLive, which brings a strong Korean audience, 1.8 million+ YouTube subscribers, an established CHZZK presence, and successful offline events.
At the top of the VTuber rankings, the landscape remained largely unchanged, with Miko, Kuzuha, and Pekora still leading the pack. This quarter, Miko claimed the number one spot, surpassing 12 million hours of watchtime.
The list also reflected a growing trend of creators utilizing multistreaming across YouTube and Twitch. The number of Japanese VTubers in the top ranks dropped slightly from nine to eight. Previously joined by Ironmouse, this quarter saw two English-speaking creators, Zentreya and Koseki Bijou, enter the lineup. Interestingly, Zentreya streamed exclusively on Twitch, while most other top creators garnered the bulk of their viewership from YouTube.
Among English-speaking VTubers, three creators posted nearly identical and exceptionally strong viewership numbers, distancing themselves from others in the rankings by almost double. Ironmouse ceded the top spot to Zentreya, who surged ahead in part due to her June subathon, the first such event of her career.
When looking at average viewership for creators streaming at least 50 hours in the quarter, Miko stood out as the leader, consistently drawing over 30,000 viewers every five minutes on average. Kuzuha also delivered strong numbers, averaging more than 25,000 concurrent viewers and logging the most total hours streamed among the top 10 influencers.
It’s important to note that if not for the minimum streaming threshold, Saba would have topped the list with only two streams in Q2. Her debut remains one of the largest VTuber debuts ever in terms of audience size.
Read also: Saba's first livestream puts her among most popular debuts for VTubers
