HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and a leading brand in gaming and esports, has announced the debut of its first virtual YouTuber, “Himura Kuraudo” or Kura. 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, joining HyperX’s growing team of brand ambassadors.
VTubing, a genre of content creation presenting as a virtual avatar, has grown in popularity globally in recent years, providing a safe space for creators to express themselves and show creativity through their own avatars. Kura’s creation reflects HyperX’s efforts to embrace all gamers, online creators, and fans, 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(!)
Several independent artists helped create Kura, including well-known illustrator and designer Rosuuri, and the freelance group Iron Vertex, which took the lead in rigging the model illustration, bringing Kura to life with a variety of animated facial expressions and movement details. During the creation process, Kura’s personality and speaking style were essential to making her authentic in the community.
In addition, Kura’s name aligns with company branding and its gaming community. The romaji pronunciation of Kura’s last name “Kuraudo” is “cloud” in reference to HyperX’s first notable headset, Cloud. Kura’s first name, “Himura,” means “dark red, scarlet” and “town, village,” correlating with HyperX’s brand colors and its humble beginnings.
Kura will ’embody the spirit’ of HyperX’s tagline, “We’re All Gamers,” through the content she creates. The HyperX team hopes that Kura will help connect with people who have common gaming interests while also promoting positivity, inclusivity and kindness within the community.
