VTuber Nuki has opened up about the years of work behind her $27,000 avatar, telling Dexerto she saved for an artist she once thought she could never afford.
Nuki had already spent around two years creating mature content using a 3D avatar she assembled and refined herself. Although she had built an audience in VRChat streaming, her move into 2D VTubing introduced her to a much wider audience.
Her model’s debut drew backlash over its $27,000 price and references to Ironmouse and Cottontail, whose avatars share the same artist, Kamo. In separate written interviews with Dexerto, Nuki and her rigger, Cypurrpunk, explained the personal ambition and technical work behind the purchase.
What was once unaffordable
Before commissioning her 2D model, Nuki spent late nights learning Blender and Unity, continually developing the 3D avatar she used for her streams.
“I made my own avatar through booth assets and spent almost two years constantly evolving my craft, tons of late nights tinkering within both Blender and Unity, and I loved it!!” she said.
By her account, that work had already become a successful career. Nuki said she peaked at No. 32 on Fansly’s highest-earner leaderboard and was the platform’s No. 2 VRChat streamer when she received her new artwork.
But VR streaming was physically taxing, and she wanted to expand what she could make, including playing horror games with friends.
Seeing Kamo’s work on an Ironmouse model gave her a clear idea of the artist she wanted. The price initially appeared out of reach.
“I actually VIVIDLY remember the moment I decided that Kamo was the one, and checking out their price sheet and getting GUTTED lol. I was like, ‘welp. I can never afford that.’ but it just stuck with me,” she recalled.
“Nothing really struck the same for me!”
Nuki said she loved Kamo’s sharp art style and expressive eyes. After the artist expressed interest in her concept, she paid in installments until the artwork was fully paid off.
“If you asked me like 2 years ago if I’d spend that much on a vtuber model i’d laugh in your face,” she said. “But money was really different back then. Like really different.”
A space where she can be comfortable
Expanding into other content also gave Nuki a chance to pursue something she had wanted long before her current career.
During her streams, viewers would tell her “you’re just fun to listen to” or “you’re pretty funny,” she recalled.
“When I was a much younger kid, I did dream of being a content creator, though. I just wanted to! Why not!”
Nuki still enjoys making mature content and plans to continue. However, she wants her Twitch channel to have its own atmosphere, which is why she asks viewers not to bring her other work into those streams.
“I don’t want my Twitch content to be an area where I feel compelled to ‘stay sexy’ and instead have it be an area where I can actually be comfortable and be friendly,” she explained.
She said other creators are free to take a different approach across their platforms, but keeping those experiences separate suits her.
Bringing more than 2,000 layers to life
Finding the right artist was only part of the process. Nuki said she spent months looking for a rigger, the person who makes the illustrated model move, before finding Cypurrpunk through commission platform VGen.
Cypurr was excited to work with artwork from an artist he admired, according to Nuki.
“It felt so powerful to watch him gleam with pure joy, he works so incredibly hard and absolutely loves rigging, and I seriously am so happy to call him my rigger,” she said.
Cypurr told Dexerto the artwork arrived with more than 2,000 layers, allowing individual parts of the hair, eyes, outfit, and other features to move.
“None of these layers I deemed ‘bloat’, as it was absolutely necessary to have full control of each section,” he explained.
His initial rigging quote was $1,500, including a rush fee, hairstyle and outfit physics, and enhanced tracking features. He then quoted another $1,500 for specialized animations and toggles for her mature content.
Costs increase as features interact, he said. Combining different arm poses with the ability to lean toward the camera, for example, requires adjustments to keep shoulders and arms moving convincingly.
Alongside that technical complexity, he pointed to demand for Kamo’s work as a factor in the overall price, describing Kamo as an “A-list artist.”
The limited mouth movement viewers criticized was a separate issue. Both interviewees attributed it to Nuki’s tracking configuration.
“The stiff mouth people noticed was my own tracking setup, not the model or the rig,” Nuki said.
She had been so excited to have the avatar that she initially assumed its tracking simply worked differently from her previous setup.
A call for transparency in vtubing
Despite her own purchase, Nuki does not believe aspiring creators need an expensive model. She pointed to successful creators using static PNG images or inexpensive avatars, arguing that entertainment matters more than the amount spent.
Cypurr agreed: “Any Vtuber can absolutely grow without a several thousand dollar model.”
As an example, he highlighted a Mii-inspired avatar he made for Chibidoki. It combined custom artwork with a largely reusable rig, an approach known as “Your Character Here.” He charged $100 for those commissions at the time, although Chibidoki paid $300 for an urgent turnaround.
For Nuki, discussing her own spending was a way to explain what her community had helped her achieve.
“I wish creators were more open about what they spend. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to say, ‘You all supported me, and I’m using that support to grow my content toward my dreams.’ That’s something to celebrate!” she said.
“After seeing some of the reactions to my price, I understand why people hesitate. But I’d love for this to be a more normal conversation, and for people to be a little kinder to each other while having it.”
She acknowledged that her excited introduction landed differently with people who did not already know her. However, the response also brought viewers willing to help her learn.
“Mostly I’m grateful: so many people were kind and sent me tutorials, and that’s what I want to remember from this.”
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
