VShojo was a Vtuber talent agency repping big names like Ironmouse that just wanted the best for everyone involved but flew too close the sun while trying desperately to raise more funds from investors. At least that’s how the now-shuttered company’s CEO pitched its downfall this week. Fans aren’t buying it, though, and some other Vtubers are already speaking out about past issues the company.
To recap: VShojo was a Vtuber talent agency on the rise trying to capitalize on the format’s growing popularity in the West. It raised an estimated $11 million in funds and signed over a dozen names, including Vtubers with millions of fans like Ironmouse. But those same Vtubers recently accused the company of failing to pay them the money they were owed, including $515,000 raised for charity by Ironmouse last fall in a record-breaking subathon on Twitch. Days later, VShojo announced it was shutting down.
It was one particular part of CEO Justin “Gunrun” Ignacio’s apology that’s been galling fans the most, however. “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,” he wrote in a statement posted on X. No long after, a community note proving that wasn’t true was attached to the post, which continues to go viral on the platform.
“Justin claims to not know the purpose of the funds, but he personally congratulated Ironmouse on the completion of her charity fundraising event and reposted Ludwig directly mentioning that half the funds would go to charity,” it reads. There were links to the past tweets in question, which include Ignacio writing, “YOU DID IT MOUSE!!” A tweet from VShojo’s Japanese X account also acknowledged the fundraiser.
Another Vtuber, Veibae, who left VShojo back in 2023, responded to Ignacio’s claims by mentioning her own past problems with the company. “I only found out I didn’t get paid for any of my sponsors after I had already signed the NDA,” she posted on X yesterday. “After 2 years, I have still not been paid back fully. To add insult to injury, they also demanded I had to pay them back 10k for some of the anniversary assets which when they sent me back months later, were half finished.” She also accused VShojo of allegedly trying to lowball revenue splits and sabotage her departure with rumors seeded on 4chan.
According to Ignacio, the agency “prioritized creators and community over short-term profits,” but not many Vtubers seem to feel that’s true. Ironmouse has yet to respond to the claims directly. “My brain is running on empty at the moment,” she wrote on Friday. According to a YouTube video released earlier in the week, Ironmouse is currently pursuing legal action against VShojo.
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