Latest news with #ImmuneDeficiencyFoundation
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'You did not deserve this' says CEO Gunrun, announcing 'VShojo is shutting down' and taking full responsibility for collapse
The virtual talent agency VShojo is shutting down. Its CEO and co-founder, Justin 'Gunrun' Ignacio, after the long ongoing controversy, has finally delivered a raw and emotional statement, announcing the agency's closure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In it, he explicitly stated that the agency's talent did not deserve it. He took on the blame for the failure of the company and all its financial concerns. The closure, after weeks of tensions, high-profile departures and unpaid dues, marks the end of an ambitious yet flawed venture. Justin 'Gunrun' Ignacio takes complete blame for VShojo's demise In a public admission, the CEO and co-founder of VShojo, Justin Gunrun Ignacio, popularly known as Gunrun, declared an immediate termination of the agency. His message was full of personal responsibility. He unequivocally stated, "VShojo has failed, and I've mismanaged the company into the situation you're all witnessing.' He further took "full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point." As per his statement, despite efforts to secure funding, the financial state of the company worsened, leaving talents unpaid and the projects abandoned. He acknowledged, "We are in a worse position, and those I care about are now paying the price," expressing regret for the impact on those who were caught under the situation's impact. In Justin Ignacio's statement, the most heartbreaking line was, 'You did not deserve this.' He directed it to all VTubers, staff members and fans who believed in the vision of VShojo. His post by no means backed off from taking accountability. However, for many, this apology from his end came too late. VShojo financial mismanagement , charity funds controversy and more It was clearly disclosed by Ignacio that VShojo was able to raise approximately. $11 million while championing the "talent-first approach." The model helped give priority to creators via significant splits in revenue, investments within events and debuts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It quite crucially, allowed the talents to retain the ownership of their IP. Despite all, as admitted by Ignacio, such a high-support structure proved to be financially unsustainable, as they were not able to generate enough revenue. It ultimately drained resources, entirely. The CEO's statement even addressed a critical controversy, which was related to the talent that raised funds for the charity's alleged misuse. Ignacio ensured to acknowledge that the company spent funds "in connection with talent activity," which later they got to know was for a charitable initiative. As per his claims, he believed that fundraising would cover the costs, but the efforts failed. It directly follows the allegations made by Ironmouse, the former talent, about a missing $515,000 donation, which was meant for the Immune Deficiency Foundation.
The Verge
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
VTuber agency VShojo shuts down after talent exodus
VShojo, the VTuber agency that billed itself as 'talent first,' is shutting down. VShojo CEO Justin 'Gunrun' Ignacio made the announcement today on X writing, 'I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point.' Earlier this week, VShojo came under fire as Ironmouse, the agency's top performing VTuber, announced she was leaving the company over a missing $500k charity donation and her own unpaid funds. Her departure triggered a mass exodus of VShojo talent, with 12 of the company's 13 creators officially announcing their own split from the company with some also claiming unpaid wages as their reason. Ignacio's announcement alluded to VShojo's financial difficulties. 'We raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in VTubing,' the statement read. 'However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money.' Ignacio also admitted that the funds raised by Ironmouse and intended for the Immune Deficiency Foundation had been spent by the company: 'Additionally I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative.' Ignacio went on to write that he was confident that he'd be able to raise enough money to cover those costs. 'We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts.' Here's the statement in full. VShojo has failed and I've mismanaged the company into the situation you're all witnessing. So 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. I've been doing everything I can to fundraise and right the ship these past few months, but despite my efforts, we are in a worse position, and those I care about are now paying the price. Over the past few years, we raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in VTubing, prioritizing creators and community over short-term profits, to achieve long-term sustainability. Our funding went directly to our creators through generous splits, debut investments, infrastructure, concerts, events, unique creator-first approach for an agency. However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money. Additionally, I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity, which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative. At the time, we were working hard to raise additional investment capital to cover our costs, and I firmly believed, based on the information available to us, that we would be able to do so and cover all expenses. We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts. I made the decision to pursue funding, and I own its consequences. I am deeply sorry to all the talents, staff, friends, and community members who believed in our brand. You did not deserve from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Ash Parrish Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Creators Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
The Verge
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
VShojo is shutting down
VShojo, the VTuber agency that billed itself as 'talent first,' is shutting down. VShojo CEO Justin 'Gunrun' Ignacio made the announcement today on X writing, 'I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point.' Earlier this week, VShojo came under fire as Ironmouse, the agency's top performing VTuber, announced she was leaving the company over a missing $500k charity donation and her own unpaid funds. Her departure triggered a mass exodus of VShojo talent, with 12 of the company's 13 creators officially announcing their own split from the company with some also claiming unpaid wages as their reason. Ignacio's announcement alluded to VShojo's financial difficulties. 'We raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in VTubing,' the statement read. 'However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money.' Ignacio also admitted that the funds raised by Ironmouse and intended for the Immune Deficiency Foundation had been spent by the company: 'Additionally I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative.' Ignacio went on to write that he was confident that he'd be able to raise enough money to cover those costs. 'We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts.' Here's the statement in from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Ash Parrish Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Creators Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
VShojo shuts down after failing to pay VTubers and deliver Ironmouse's $500k charity donation
VTuber agency VShojo has officially shut down after widespread backlash from unpaid creators and a missing $500,000 charity donation promised during Ironmouse's subathon. The shutdown was confirmed by now-former CEO Justin Ignacio, who admitted to mismanaging the company and failing to secure additional funding. The controversy erupted when Ironmouse revealed that the $500k raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) was never delivered. Soon after, other VTubers under VShojo came forward, claiming they had gone unpaid for months. Within 24 hours, all affiliated talent cut ties with the agency, sparking a mass exodus. In a public statement, Ignacio took full responsibility for the company's collapse, stating, 'VShojo has failed, and I've mismanaged the company into the situation you're all witnessing.' VShojo had raised over $11 million over the years to support a creator-first model. However, the company burned through its funds by prioritizing generous revenue splits, infrastructure, and allowing talent to own their IP — a model that proved unsustainable without strong revenue. Ignacio also confirmed that some funds used by the company were raised through talent-driven events, including the charity subathon by Ironmouse. Despite expectations that further investment would cover these costs, fundraising efforts failed. There are currently no plans to repay the talent or send the promised donation to the IDF. In response, Ironmouse has independently raised over $1 million for the foundation through her community. The sudden closure of VShojo marks one of the most dramatic collapses in VTuber industry history.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Ironmouse, VShojo Controversy Explained
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Twitch star and VTuber Ironmouse has announced that she is parting ways with VShojo, a VTuber talent agency which was founded in 2020. In a video shared to YouTube, Ironmouse alleges that she was misled over finances by VShojo, and that the charity the Immune Deficiency Foundation, is also owed funds. Newsweek has reached out to Ironmouse, VShojo and the Immune Deficiency Foundation via email for comment. Why It Matters Ironmouse, who is public facing as an anime virtual avatar, is one of the more well known VTube stars in the world. The Puerto Rican Twitch star has over 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 2.3 million followers on Twitch. In 2024, she became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, before later being surpassed by Kai Cenat. She has also raised awareness for philanthropy for immune disorders. She herself has common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). An attendee meets VTuber Ironmouse at TwitchCon 2024 San Diego on September 20, 2024. An attendee meets VTuber Ironmouse at TwitchCon 2024 San Diego on September 20, 2024. RobinWhat To Know VTubers are virtual YouTube content creators who use computer-generated avatars for videos or livestreams. VTubers are known by their avatars, rather than their real identities. On July 21, 2025, Ironmouse shared a video on YouTube titled "Why I left VShojo." As of press time, that video has been viewed over 860,000 times. VShojo is an American talent agency based in San Francisco that is focused on promoting VTuber content creators. The video begins with Ironmouse saying, "I am leaving VShojo." Ironmouse then says, "I recently found out that for the past couple of months, I have been misled by VShojo." "With the information that I currently have, I believe that I am owed a significant amount of funds, which I have not been paid," she alleges in the video. Ironmouse continues, and says that "Most importantly, the thing that hurts me the most is that the Immune Deficiency Foundation, which is the most important charity to me, and also the reason why I am here today, is owed over half a million dollars from VShojo." Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this claim. "It's very important for me to be honest with you," Ironmouse says in the video, before adding, "I really want to tell you everything but unfortunately right now, I have been instructed by my attorney to wait for more of the legal procedure to unfold. But one day, I will be able to tell you the full story." She says in her video, "I became a VTuber because I wanted to make friends. I was very lonely, due to the fact that I have a primary immune deficiency disease called CVID." A 2023 blog post from the Immune Deficiency Foundation details fundraising efforts made by Connor Colquhoun, who is known as CDawgVA online, and is a friend of Ironmouse's for the charity. These efforts include a charity bike ride and an online auction. Ironmouse discusses these fundraising efforts in her video and says, "Connor and I have both spent a ton of energy, time and resources raising money for charity." She adds that "We almost always raise money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation." After she posted the video on YouTube, Ironmouse posted on X, "To my community, I love you all dearly and thank you." That post has been viewed 7 million times as of reporting. Ironmouse is not the only talent to leave VShojo this year – Matara Kan, GEEGA and Zentreya have all announced that they will be departing the agency. None of these departures have said anything negative about the agency. VShojo has not commented publicly at this time. What People Are Saying Ironmouse, speaking in her YouTube video: "As of right now, I am an independent VTuber." Apricot, a Twitch streamer, responding to Ironmouse's post on X: "I only just learned about this today, I am so sorry." Hime, a Twitch streamer, responding to Ironmouse's post on X: "We will always stand by you queen. Genuinely love you." Connor, a Twitch streamer who fundraised with Ironmouse in a post on X viewed 1.4 million times: "Well vshojo better get cycling and start raising some money." Zentreya, a Twitch streamer, posted on X: "My heart hurts for the VSHOJO Community as I know some of you are very confused and hurt. These have been super confusing months for many of you and I know you've all been trying to weather it out. Support those who you can and please stay strong." What Happens Next Ironmouse says in the video that there are legal proceedings unfolding. How these will unfold, and whether VShojo will comment publicly, remains to be seen.
