VShojo Shuts Down Amid Talent Exodus

VShojo, a prominent VTuber agency, has announced its closure following a series of challenges and a mass departure of its talent.

Image via VShojo

Justin Ignacio's Announcement

Justin Ignacio, CEO of VShojo, shared a heartfelt and candid statement on Friday, revealing the difficult decision to shut down the agency. He took full responsibility for the circumstances that led to this outcome.

"VShojo has failed, and I've mismanaged the company into the situation you're all witnessing.

Today I am sharing the difficult news that VShojo is shutting down, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point.

Despite efforts to raise funds, we fell short of our goals. Over the past few years, we raised around $11 million to support a talent-first approach, prioritizing creators and community over short-term profits. Our investments went directly to creators through splits, debut investments, infrastructure, concerts, events, and staffing, all aimed at supporting them. We also wanted talent to own their IP, which was a unique aspect of our model. However, despite these efforts, the business couldn't generate enough revenue to sustain itself, and we ran out of money.

I also acknowledge that some of the funds raised were connected to charitable initiatives, which I later learned were intended for donations. We were working hard to secure additional investment to cover costs, but unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful. I own the consequences of these decisions."

The Talent Exodus

The announcement comes just days after Ironmouse, a former VShojo talent, publicly revealed she was leaving the agency. She also alleged that VShojo had not paid over $515,000 in charitable donations she raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation.

Following her departure, nearly all other talents announced their exit, leaving only one VTuber, Apricot the Lich, still with the agency.

Final VTuber's Departure

Apricot the Lich shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account that she was leaving VShojo. She expressed her heartbreak over the situation and her hopes to continue creating content independently:

"As a day 1 talent, it's truly heartbreaking that it has come to this. I had the opportunity to achieve so much over the last 4-5 years. I'm anxious about becoming indie, but I will keep doing what I set out to do and make fun things."

In a follow-up statement, she mentioned she didn't even get a chance to complete her termination process before the company announced its shutdown.

Sources

• Justin Ignacio's statement on X
• Apricot the Lich's Twitter
• Follow-up on her departure
• VShojo official website

This marks a significant moment in the VTuber community, highlighting the challenges faced by agencies in sustaining their operations and supporting their talents.