Diving into the Wonderfully Strange World of VTuber Sex Workers

Words: Kyli Rodriguez-Cayro

Picture entering a NSFW live streaming platform. On the screen is a camworker chatting with her audience. Someone watching the stream finally hits the tip goal, which leads to an on-camera strip down and spanking that her chatroom has been waiting to see.  

This is a typical stream for Podgekinn, who is a VTuber (virtual YouTuber) sex worker. The difference between Podge and a traditional cammer? She has green-tinted skin, pointed ears and teeth, and anime-esque eyes. Podge is a real person, but she appears as an animated model. 

She is part of the community of virtual YouTube sex workers. VTubing’s origins begin in Japan in the mid-2010s. As the first wave of COVID, there was a boom in English-speaking VTubers, especially those based in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Over the past six years, both SFW VTubers and VTuber sex workers have dominated streaming platforms. 

A VTuber sex worker does virtual sexual services or performances in exchange for money, and the scope of what they do depends on the creator. In the midst of dealing with grief and depression, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Podge began making IRL cosplay content without a VTube model. In 2022, they made the switch to NSFW VTube content creation. “I drew my first model, learned how to rig it, and then two months later I debuted,” Podge says. “I had no idea it would become what it is now. It's been my full-time job for four years now and I have things like merchandise, sex toys, and music out.” 
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“Despite the challenges AI may pose, the unabating popularity of VTuber sex workers has proven that the experience they provide cannot be replicated by a chatbot.”

Lucky Cat Kira, who began VTubing at the end of 2020, first became interested in VTube sex work when she saw how accessible and flexible it could be. “I've always loved creating and roleplaying, so I was very interested in the idea of making a character that I could become with just a webcam,” she says. In addition to streaming, both Lucky Cat Kira and Podge have been commissioned to voice act on porn games and attend conventions as guests. 

Similarly to Podge, fellow VTuber sex worker AtramentumX says he found himself feeling isolated before he discovered VTubing during COVID. Inspired by fellow male creators, Atra officially became a VTuber sex worker in 2022. His Fansly streams typically involve him playing a porn game while chatting with patrons. He incorporates elements such as teledildonics, aka Bluetooth-controlled sex toys that can be remotely activated when tip goals are met or they can be synced to game haptics. 

There are stereotypes of who the average viewer of a VTuber sex worker is - I’m sure some picture a chronically online man obsessed with anime figurines. In truth, there is no such thing as an “average” viewer, with patrons coming from all different walks of life, different countries, and both younger and older adults. 

An example defying the stereotype, Atra says he generally “attract[s] an audience that are 30-plus cis women, or bisexual women, and some non-binary people.” Moreover, Atra says that, “For the first time in my life, I feel desirable and wanted by a larger audience. It does feel nice.” 

Though she has a presence on social media, Lucky Cat Kira prefers the crowd she attracts on porn sites. “The more you can personally curate your audience, the better of an experience it will be,” she explains. “The porn specific platform audiences tend to be more accepting of any and all things: experimental, silly, SFW and NSFW.”

Further, Podge remarks that their patrons, particularly those who join paywalled streams, are incredibly respectful and kind. In fact, their audience’s support is in part what gave them the courage to take the leap into doing NSFW cosplay photoshoots. “‘Podge’ kind of made me that better version of myself, and made me feel more comfortable in my skin,” Podge explains. “I made my model look like me because I wanted to cosplay her [in real life].” 

Unsurprisingly, VTube sex workers are being impacted by the passage of widespread censorship laws. “There is certainly broad anti-sex work overlap that affects me, most notably the payment processors deciding what kind of content is allowed to be posted,” notes Lucky Cat Kira, further explaining that this has limited what she can post on paywalled sites, even leading to her removal from certain platforms. Though Podge lives in an area with less online restrictions, they say some of their clients have expressed they are no longer able to access her content on Fansly and other sites due to the advancement of censorship laws. 

What’s more, generative AI is an ever growing issue that’s affecting every aspect of the adult industry. Art is foundational to VTubing and as Lucky Cat Kira proclaims, it “has no place in a creative community.” This sentiment is overwhelmingly shared by VTubers.  

“In my community, it is a rule that you cannot post AI in my Discord,” Podge remarks. “If you send me AI fan art or post it, I will send you a DMCA takedown for misrepresenting my brand and business.” Atra notes that a concern he shares with Podge is the creation of misrepresentative AI chatbots that “say problematic and horrible things that you wouldn't say yourself.” 

Despite the challenges AI may pose, the unabating popularity of VTuber sex workers has proven that the experience they provide cannot be replicated by a chatbot.

There is an extra layer of safety and privilege provided by using an avatar. However, VTuber sex workers are seeking the same protections and recognition as traditional sex workers. Both share some of the same risks: Not only does this include increased censorship and generative AI, but VTuber and traditional sex workers alike are exposed to doxxing attempts, abusive clients, stigma, and complicated tax issues. It’s also worth noting that many VTubers, including Podge and Lucky Cat Kira, are “mixed reality” camworkers and do NSFW streams without their models. 

“VTubing sex work is not an easy way out. [...] I really hope that more traditional sex workers and VTubers can sort of find commonalities and work together,” Atra says. To foster this, one of Atra’s projects includes hosting and producing The Depths, a sex and relationships podcast; he aims to have more traditional sex workers join the conversation. 

VTube sex work does not come without its challenges, but Podge, Atra, and Lucky Cat Kira all express how grateful they are to have stumbled upon VTubing. There are always those who are anti-sex work, they say the VTubers are overall incredibly supportive of one another. “The community is my favorite part of being a VTuber [...] Nowhere else have I felt such acceptance, or have I been able to make friends with all the weird and niche interests I have,” Lucky Cat Kira says. 

The demand for VTuber sex workers continues to skyrocket, and there is no stopping the momentum. VTuber sex workers demonstrate the importance of human connection even in the digital realm.