Valkyrae ends stream in tears after perfect birthday surprise from YouTube fans

Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter ended her stream in tears after YouTube fans pulled off the perfect birthday surprise, including a compilation video, a virtual fan-art gallery, and a pinboard filled with hundreds of comments.

Rae celebrated her 30th birthday on January 8, 2022. Dedicated fans helped make the occasion even more special by dishing up the perfect birthday surprise, and she shared the experience with them on stream.

It was an emotional roller-coaster ride from start to finish. She ended the stream in tears after feeling so “overwhelmed” with all their love and support, explaining that she wanted to enjoy the last part privately.

“I heard there was a surprise today,” she Rae. “I heard there was a surprise. So, I figured I would do a stream today to check out these surprises. I already got toilet paper in case I cry.” And boy, did she need it.

The first surprise was a 40-minute compilation video that recapped some of the best moments she had on-stream with friends in 2021. She couldn’t hold back the tears and burst out crying several times while it played.

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“Oh my gosh, I didn’t expect to get emotional from that,” she said. “That’s crazy. I love all my friends. I love them all. I’m so lucky. I’m just so lucky, man.”

The second surprise was a fan-made project called ‘Birthrae Gallerae.’ As the name suggests, it was a virtual art gallery filled with fan-made art. “This is incredible!” yelled Rae as she walked through it with her character.

The third and final surprise was a link filled with hundreds of comments from fans wishing her a happy birthday. “I’m so overwhelmed. This is so nice. You guys are so sweet,” she said as the tears started to flow.

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Then, she decided to end the stream and soak it all in. “I really want to read this now off-stream. I do. I’m going to go. I want to read it and just enjoy it. This is very important to me. I feel like this kind of stuff gives me purpose.”

The relevant part of the video starts at 13.26.

After reading the comments off-stream, Rae posted a series of tweets thanking fans for their love and support.

“This is the happiest I’ve ever been!” she said. “I couldn’t be more grateful for this life. Thank you for being part of it. I wish I could thank you all individually. Thank you for the birthday love.”