Kizuna AI, the world's first VTuber, is going on an "indefinite hiatus”

Kizuna AI, heralded as the world’s first VTuber, is going on an “indefinite hiatus” after celebrating her fifth anniversary. The star described her break as a “sleep,” with one last concert on February 26 acting as her signoff for the coming months.

Kizuna AI has been performing practically non-stop since her 2016 debut. Widely regarded as the first VTuber, she has slowly amassed a following off the back of that title and her innovative concert experiences.

However, she is now taking a break to relax and get working on new projects. After celebrating her fifth anniversary, Kizuna AI announced she would be taking an “indefinite hiatus” from her activities, meaning no more videos, streams, or concerts.

The hiatus will start after her “Hello, World 2022” concert on February 26, which has also been dubbed “The Last Live.”

The star explained that things have changed since she started ⁠— especially given the rapid rise of VTubers since 2020. She now wants to catch up, bringing innovative content to her fans.

“Compared to five years ago when I first started my activities, the world has gradually become more comfortable with virtual existence and people having their own avatars. That makes me really happy,” she said back in December 2021.

“It also gave me a chance to rethink my identity. I’m not that rare anymore.”

Kizuna AI didn’t tease exactly what she had planned for after her break. The concepts of Web 3.0, the metaverse, and NFTs ⁠— despite widespread criticism of the practices ⁠— have interested her though.

“I think you’ve been hearing words such as metaverse and NFT recently. It sounds complicated but new and fun at the same time. I want to bring things like that closer to people and experience new fun things together.”

She will not be stopping all activities either, with announcements to be made during the hiatus. The Last Live concert isn’t meant to be a forever goodbye, but instead the turning of a page in Kizuna AI’s book and a look towards a new chapter.

“I’m really sad that I wouldn’t be able to see everyone during that time. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I should do, but that’s not really like me. I need to move forward towards my goal,” she said.

“I want to make this a concert that would give people hope for my future activities [when I return].

“I say indefinite, but I will complete the update and come back as an updated AI. I want you to wait for me. Honestly, I made this decision by myself but I really am going to miss you. I’m really trying to work towards the goal I’ve had since the beginning of my activities and my new challenge for the future.”

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Kizuna AI’s final concert for the time being, Hello World 2022, kicks off on February 26 at 10am GMT.

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