Lofi Girl’s world is expanding

You know Lofi Girl.

Now meet Lofi Guy.

For days now, Dimitri, the creator behind chill music YouTube channel Lofi Girl, has been teasing that something big was about to happen. Viewers of the long-running 24/7 stream spotted flickering lights, Morse code, mysterious calendars and countdowns, changes to Lofi Girl’s iconic illustrated background, and eventually the complete disappearance of Lofi Girl herself.

All of it led to this: the introduction of Synthwave, a brand-new 24/7 music stream in the Lofi Girl universe.

Billed as “beats to chill/game to” (Lofi Girl’s tagline is “beats to relax/study to”), Synthwave features the Lofi universe’s first new character since Lofi Girl first appeared in 2017. We’re not actually sure if his official name is Lofi Guy, but that’s what the YouTube and Twitter comment sections are calling him for now.

Just like Lofi Girl, Lofi Guy has his own looping animation showing him hard at work. His, though, takes a more techy approach. While Lofi Girl is scribbling in a notebook, he’s typing into a retro chunky computer with a lava lamp and neon sign close by. He’s also got nerdy paraphernalia scattered around: an R2-D2 figure, a Rubik’s Cube, gaming cartridges, plushies, and posters. And, last but certainly not least, he has a napping dog in place of Lofi Girl’s orange cat.

“Get ready to fully immerse yourselves in the new realm of retro-futuristic sounds and join us as we embark on a journey through time and space, exploring the wonders of Synthwave and unravelling the mysteries of the Lofi universe!” Dimitri tweeted from the Lofi Girl Twitter account.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for being the most amazing detectives and participating in the lead-up to this exciting launch and we hope you enjoy tuning into the new livestream,” they added. “Your infinite support means the world.”

Synthwave and Lofi Guy’s intro also came with the reveal of a website, lofiworld.com, that seems like it’ll be the central hub for all things Lofi lore. (At press time, the website is down, likely crashed by the sheer amount of incoming traffic.)

As for where Lofi Guy fits in the Lofi World, fan speculation is running rampant. The prevailing theory is that he lives in the high-rise building across the street from Lofi Girl, since teasers for him showed Lofi Girl noticing a blue flashing window: