As virtual creators continue to climb the streaming leaderboards, a VTuber agency is adding a fresh spin to a rising industry. The Tokyo-based firm Pandora has announced its plan to trademark the term “XTuber,” which refers to hybrid creators who employ both virtual and human avatars.
Before we go any further, let’s clear a few things up: XTubers are not tied to the platform formerly known as Twitter, nor are they delivering adult content. In this case, the X represents the word “cross,” and the full term refers to the idea that the typical XTuber is a crossover between a VTuber and a traditional creator.
By clearly defining XTubers and staking its claim in that territory, Pandora is responding to a growing trend among VTubers. Though that group primarily includes creators who use motion capture technology to perform animated characters, some VTubers bring their real-life selves into the equation as well. Ironmouse, for example, often discusses her health and other matters that concern her original human form.
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Other VTubers have gone fully hybrid by hosting bombastic live events where they reveal their faces. Even some Western creators, like Dream, are toeing the line between mo-capped and analog presentation.
“XTubers are talents who embrace both virtual and real-world physicality and experience as areas of expression, operating in a way that transcends conventional frameworks,” reads a translation of Pandora’s announcement. “By working across the boundaries between virtual and real, they expand the range of expression and character traits that cannot be achieved in the real world alone, enabling the creation of more flexible entertainment.”
In theory, the XTuber framework has the potential to be much more than just a creative choice. The friction between the Gawr Gura and the hololive showed how hard it is for VTubers to separate from their partner firms. Since those agencies typically own creators’ VTuber likenesses, anyone starting fresh must adopt a new persona. But since those agencies obviously don’t own the creators themselves, a hybrid approach lends more creative control to the people who perform popular VTuber characters. And for creators like Kwebbelkop who are transitioning to VTuber avatars, the XTuber label can be a useful middle ground.
There are some complications to consider as well. Some responses to Pandora’s announcement have questioned whether the agency will be able to claim its trademark, or if YouTube will object to another company’s ownership of a “Tuber” term. Even if Pandora’s trademark goes through, it may be more of a cosmetic distinction, since there will still be plenty of unaffiliated creators who use both virtual and fleshy avatars.
Ultimately, Pandora’s move feels like a thought experiment. The agency is recognizing the shifting winds of the VTuber world, and it wants to be involved in the next phase of the industry’s evolution.
