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Unlock streaming success with tips from Radiant VALORANT star Tiffanie Hsu
VALORANT legend Tiffanie Hsu began gaming in her dorm room and is now one of the game’s most recognisable faces. Here’s how she got there and what you can learn from her.
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Twitch streamer Tiffanie 'Tiffae' Hsu has previously told us how she found her passion through gaming, explaining that as a student in 2012, she was too busy studying and working to discover what she loved. “I was miserable because I was not enjoying school then and constantly worried about money and what my future would look like,” she said.
“Gaming was always my escape from reality,” Hsu said. “I remember just playing games in whatever time I had because it just made me happy. It was a hobby of mine that brought me a lot of joy.”
Flash forward to 2023 and Hsu is one of the biggest VALORANT streamers on the planet. As well as live-streaming her games, she also gives tutorials on TikTok and YouTube, as well as one-on-one online sessions.
(Not familiar with VALORANT? This free-to-play first-person tactical shooter (or ‘FPS’) sees players join a five-person team of ‘Agents’ in the near future. It’s fast-paced, hella fun, and the focus of the upcoming Red Bull Campus Clutch world finale taking place in November).
Inspired to follow in Hsu’s (virtual) footsteps? Here, she breaks down everything you need to know to become a successful online streamer.
01
Use your passion and be yourself
Tiffae at the Red Bull Headquaters in Santa Monica
© Maria Jose Govea / Red Bull Content Pool
“When I started, I was just very passionate about gaming, where I wanted it to be part of everything I did,” says Hsu. Part of her success is that this genuine passion comes across in her videos. “When I started posting my content, I realised that people either related to me, or found my videos enjoyable, so I think a big tip about content creation is to genuinely be yourself. It's hard to fake a personality.”
02
Know your platforms
There are a lot of platforms out there at the moment, so for the aspiring streamer it can be difficult to know where best to direct your content. Understanding the best place for different types of videos can help you maximise your audience. “I stream on Twitch and everything is live,” Hsu explains. “It's a little different when you're posting on YouTube and TikTok because you can pick what you want to show your audience.”
03
Plan your videos
Tiffae and friends
© Rick Rodney / Red Bull Content Pool
As much as we want to see content creators living their natural life, most content is if not entirely scripted, at least pre-thought-out. Hsu sees this as a way of giving her audience the best, most useful and exciting content possible. She explains that she edits play-through videos to start with the most exciting part, prompting the audience to ask ‘How did that happen?’ before going back for the reveal. “Everything is scripted and directed,” she says. “I do have a team of editors that do that.”
04
Invest in good software
If you’re just starting out, you can apply Hsu’s advice above, but you probably can’t afford a team of editors. Instead, there are lots of video editing softwares out there that let you do this kind of thing yourself. “It's actually crazy because nowadays, there's so many applications that make that really easy for you,” says Hsu. “There are apps where you can upload a clip and it allows you to format it to like a TikTok version or whatever.”
05
Don’t try to predict what will blow up
Things happen fast in VALORANT
© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool
“It's so weird because anything can go viral nowadays,” says Hsu. “It just depends on your content and your personality and what you're aiming for. There is an algorithm [on TikTok] but it’s impossible to predict. In VALORANT content, there are a lot of videos on ‘From rank to Radiant’ which is the highest rank, so those videos do garner a lot of attention. You have to find what works for you.”
06
Don’t expect to get famous
Everyone wants to be famous online these days, so it’s a really crowded field. If fame is your focus, you may be disappointed. “I think that streaming live is one of the hardest ways to gain discoverability,” says Hsu. “It's super-saturated; there's way too many live streamers. Unless you have an audience already, it gets pretty difficult to grow on a platform like Twitch or YouTube.”
07
Don’t spend all your time making videos
Tiffae hanging out
© Rick Rodney / Red Bull Content Pool
If you’re really hoping to make content creation a career, it can be tempting to treat it like a full-time job. Because of the unpredictability of the internet, Hsu says this can be a bit of a waste of time. “You don't have to shoot for eight hours,” she says. “Chances are you'll find more success having like a 30-second video pop off. Short videos will mostly give you more traffic than live streaming for eight hours. With YouTube shorts and Instagram videos, there are so many options.”
08
Don’t expect to get rich
Sorry. “I am thankful I have an agency that takes care of all that for me,” says Hsu. “But I can genuinely say if you're looking to go into content creation to make money, it's gonna take a lot of work and also sometimes a lot of luck. Not everyone gets to be at a stage where you can monetise your content. Everyone struggles.”
09
Find your ‘Why’
Red Bull Campus Clutch World Finals crowns its 2022 champions
© Fabio Piva / Red Bull Content Pool
Instead of fame or money, Hsu’s main reason for streaming is to help others. “I enjoy helping other people,” she says. “My friend asked me for advice on how to get better at VALORANT and teaching became a thing for me. You have to be ready to embrace opportunities.”
10
Stand up for yourself
Online gaming is a notoriously toxic field, especially for a woman. Hsu says she’ll sometimes ignore comments but more often than not, she likes to tell the trolls off. “I tend to always speak up for myself, I make it known that they did something wrong, and that I'm not frickin' happy with,” she says. “A lot of women have come up to me and said ‘ You gave me the courage to start speaking up for myself.’”
11
Use your platform for good
Tiffany 'Tiffae' Hsu
© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool
As a woman in gaming, Hsu is a flag-bearer for women and LGBTQ+ access. “I think when bigger organisations throw events catered to women, or non-binary people, it makes it a lot more welcoming and less scary. VALORANT is really good at hosting events to make women feel more accepted, and I get feedback from younger players saying they tried it for the first time and felt like it was a safe space. That’s awesome.”
12
Get a life
Streaming can’t be your be-all and end-all, unless you want to end up with square eyes and massively overgrown thumbs. Hsu likes to take time away from VALORANT when she isn’t streaming. “I have a strict rule that I only play VALORANT on stream,” she says. “Off stream, I play other games, hang out with my dogs or hang out with my friends to wind down and relax. So it's just that when I'm not live, or when I'm not creating content, I try not to think about it.”
Calling all gamers! The Red Bull Campus Clutch world final takes place from November 19 to 24 in Istanbul. Check it out here.
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