HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and brand leader in gaming and esports, today announced the debut of its first VTuber, “Himura Kuraudo”, also known as Kura. As the newest member of HyperX’s growing team of brand ambassadors, Kura will be streaming a variety of content on HyperX’s Twitch channel regularly on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. PST / Thursdays at 6 a.m AEDT.

VTubing originated in Japan in the mid-2010s and grew in popularity in early 2020 during the pandemic, representing a genre of content creation presenting as a virtual avatar. HyperX understands the importance of this community and the positive impact it has made for online content creators. Fueled by independent content creators globally, this digital world has provided a safe space for creators to build confidence, embrace their inner selves and show creativity through their own avatars. The idea and creation of Kura is a direct reflection of HyperX’s efforts to embrace all gamers, online creators and fans alike. HyperX looks forward to connecting with the community even more via Kura.

“I’m excited to work with HyperX and be a part of their growing family. To be brought into this space of immense creativity and uniqueness with my very own persona created in such an authentic way is truly humbling,” said Kura, VTuber, HyperX. “I’m thrilled to be a part of an organisation that values inclusivity and aims to make a positive impact on others and look forward to collaborating with others and connecting with fans on my journey.”

During the creation of Kura, like other VTubers, her personality and speaking style were an important part of the creative process to be authentic in the community. Aiming to develop a high-quality HyperX avatar with unique characteristics, HyperX understood the complexity of this project and brought in several independent artists to help create Kura, including well-known illustrator and designer Rosuuri who has a distinct and recognisable style. In addition, the freelance group Iron Vertex took the lead in rigging the model illustration, bringing Kura to life with a variety of animated facial expressions and movement details.

In addition, naming Kura wasn’t taken lightly as the HyperX team wanted to align with company values, the HyperX brand and its gaming community. The romaji pronunciation of the name “Kuraudo” is “cloud” in reference to HyperX’s first notable headset, Cloud. Kura’s last name “Himura” means “dark red, scarlet” and “town, village,” which correlates with HyperX’s brand colours and its humble beginnings. Kura will embody the spirit of HyperX’s tagline, “We’re All Gamers,” through the content she creates. Created to connect with people who have common gaming interests while also promoting positivity, inclusivity and kindness within the community, Kura is ready to start this journey as HyperX’s first VTuber.