VAMPY BIT ME
Interview by David Cirone
Part 2 – May 1, 2026
Read Part 1 of our Vampy Bit Me interview here.
Let’s take a few minutes to talk about your personal connection to the Monster Hunter games. I saw a stream where you were playing a demo of the new game, Monster Hunter Wilds.
Vampy: Oh yeah! I love that game.
How did you begin your relationship with the Monster Hunter franchise?
Vampy: My first experience with Monster Hunter was watching J☆RYU literally throw his 3DS and say, “Oh my God, I hate this game!” Of course of of frustration. I said, “What the hell is wrong with you?” He was so upset. He said” The underwater combat, it pisses me off.” He couldn’t calm down. I loved playing on the 3DS. That was one of my favorite portable consoles. So I said, “Let me play this game and see why you’re so mad,” and I got hooked from there. I was challenging, beautiful, and I loved the monster designs the most. I thought it was the best game ever.
Which edition was this?
Vampy: That was Monster Hunter 3. I was totally into it. It got so bad, I would tell him to “Shoo!” and I would be in the dark, in my bed, playing the game for fifteen hours to 2 hours straight, of course with bathroom breaks. I loved making mixed sets in the game so I needed all of it.I was literally like Gollum. Monster Hunter became “My precious.”
What was it about the game that hooked you?
Vampy: I’m an RPG player through and through, and as a person that loves to spend time on grinding for gear, that game gave me life. It’s the kind of game that gives you a sense of satisfaction, because you’re beating harder monsters every time, and you can perfect your skills every time you play. It’s an RPG that keeps calling me back: this makes me better, this makes me stronger, this aesthetic item makes me look cooler. And I can show off in the game. I can walk into the little gathering areas with my rainbow armor and people can see me — “Oooh, this badass finished the game.” Back then in Monster Hunter 4 U people were very proud of rainbow armor and it was a way for them to showcase that they loved the game a ton. I love those little features!
When they see something like that, no one can challenge how committed you are. You win!
Vampy: “Well, I played 18 hours, I didn’t sleep, but I got this.” So I got that kind of rise from it. That’s why Monster Hunter took over my life. I am thoroughly obsessed. Even today, I have work to do, but right after work, I’m going to play about nine hours of Monster Hunter. And I don’t care what time I sleep. That’s my gift to myself. I already rallied my community: “Do you guys want to play?” And that’s what we do.
Vampy Bit Me Hosts Monster Hunter 20th Anniversary Creator Spotlight at TwitchCon San Diego 2024
How do you get from simply playing the game as a fan to hosting special events, like the Iceborne reveal at E3?
Vampy: I’ve been deeply involved in the Monster Hunter community since maybe 2014, and I started posting about it all the time, and that got the attention of the game’s social media managers. I loved them by the way, I truly think they were the best there ever was for a company. They started reaching out to me for promotion and I became really close to all of them. We all grew together in this community, and I feel very lucky that they still call me. Always a faithful Monster Hunter fan until the end.
And then you got tapped to host the Monster Hunter 20th Anniversary event. You’re obviously comfortable representing the brand and this whole franchise.
Vampy: Absolutely. This community is the best. Everyone’s so nice. I love them all.
Watching that demo stream, I could see that people in the chat were having so much fun. They weren’t just talking with you, but they were supporting each other. Someone would ask a question and another person in the chat would volunteer the answer like, “Here’s something that’ll help you,” “This is where you go,” or “This is how to finish this quest.” Gaming sometimes can be toxic. How do you build and maintain that positive community in your streams?
Vampy: You know, a lot of people ask me, “How do you build a community?” It takes time, and you have to send a positive but very real message. You have to actually be a people person, and well, your community is a reflection of you. Everyone is free to love what they love, and I try to project that. I want to create a safe space for everyone. I didn’t have that when I was younger, I work hard to create the space I wish I’d had when I was new to the fandom.
Japanese brands have a reputation for being very conservative about how they’re represented in global markets. Why do you think they trust you to be part of their projects?
Vampy: I think they see that it really brings me a huge amount of joy. I’m really having fun. If you don’t love this stuff, then why are you doing it? That’s why it’s so easy for me to make content, because it brings me and my community so much happiness.
Are you in a position where you’ve been able to give advice to the companies you’re partnering with?
Vampy: Yes, a lot. I’m always happy when they ask me to comment on what fans are saying to me about their products. They really care.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! Vampy Bitme Special Guest Trooper Card
Without getting into specifics, what type of things do you think they can do better to connect with fans in the U.S.?
Vampy: Marketing is a big, big part of it. But that’s not just advertising, that means education, too. A new fan might see a Gundam and think it’s beautiful, but they don’t know what it is. “What’s an RX-78? Is that a Transformer?” Taking the time to teach the audience is so important. And they have to find the right people to do that, people who really understand the joy these creations bring into your life.
How do you decide when you’re going to retire a character? And then how do you decide when it’s time to hit the next one on your To Do list?
Vampy: Well, once I make it, then it’s done. I rarely ever wear my costume more than a few times. The main motivator for me making stuff is to make stuff. I don’t really hold on to it for very long after I’m finished. I like the thrill of the creation.
So this character you’re working on, Tron Bonne from Mega Man, you’re going to build the costume live on your stream so your community can participate. Then you’re going to perform as this character in person at Texas Showdown. But if people don’t go to Texas, they’re never going to see this cosplay in person?
Vampy: Sorry! I hope you guys can make it!
Where do those costumes go when you’re done? Is there a Vampy Museum?
Vampy: No way. Ultimately, I just want to focus on the value of having a positive experience — have fun doing what you want to do, enjoy the craft you’re working on while you’re making it. And congratulate the people around you who are doing amazing work, too. Just being present in the moment is the biggest motivator for me.
With twenty years of professional cosplay experience and your position in the cosplay community, have you ever considered making a book? Something for the little girl in Oklahoma right now who’s thinking, “I see all this cosplay around me. This seems like something I might want to do if I could learn how to do it.”
Vampy: I have thought about it. It’s so different now, compared to when I first started. Everything is documented through photos and videos on social media and YouTube. I was never really thinking about that, because I’m more of a live streamer. I just love to talk and be normal and be myself. I don’t live my life through a script. But now I’m hosting events and using things like a teleprompter, which is wild. I’m editing my own videos now, too. It’s a big change for me, and that’s led me to think about how I can help others in a more structured way.
You can guide others and help grow the community in a positive way.
Vampy: Right. And hopefully new cosplayers, or any kind of creative person, really, can find the joy I’ve found. Artists should be motivated by their true love for things, and be ready to do the work, too. That’s the number one thing I want to tell people: you need to put in the hours and hours of work if you’re going to make it, because it all starts behind the scenes. Success — however you define it — is built on hard work. It’s not built on being pretty or cool or whatever. It’s really about putting in the time, and sometimes we don’t see that because we’re looking at the final product without seeing the plan that made that happen. I was deeply hungry to create art in a space where I felt like there wasn’t art there. It still makes me happy, and I’m still learning, too.
VAMPY BIT ME
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