Latest News about Animaze!

Hello Awesome folks,

• Monthly subscribers: You’ll have access until your monthly subscription naturally ends. No renewals will happen (or be possible) anymore.
  • Safety note: To ensure a gap-less transition, do not rush to manually cancel your old monthly subscription until after you are 100% you are done using it. Cancelling it now might mean access abruptly stops. Whether you cancel or not, there will be no further recurring billing or renewal at the end of your current subscription month, and it will auto-cancel then anyway.
• Yearly subscribers (on an active sub at the time of this announcement): As a thank you for your larger commitment, you will receive (or have received already) the Steam DLC with the perpetual license corresponding to your yearly sub tier, at no extra cost. The current DLCs' names are Animaze Plus 2024 - Lifetime License DLC and Animaze Pro 2024- Lifetime License, just be aware the year in their name will probably be changed from saying just 2024 to '24-'26, to illustrate the fact that they indeed include everything built from 2024 up to the current year, and are not limited to the 2024 feature set. This was the case anyway, but now people will be able to tell that by looking at the title.
  • Safety note: To ensure a gap-less transition, do not manually cancel your old subscription until after you have made sure your replacement license, the Animaze DLC, is live on your Steam account.
• Existing Steam-subscribed users will receive this automatically (just remember to install it/activate it in the DLCs tab, if needed). Those using animaze.us accounts will have to look in their e-mail inbox (including the spam folder) for the Steam product code, which they can then redeem on any Steam account of their choosing. 
• Users who were already using the Plus /PRO DLCs, whether those were the 2022, 2023, or 2024 versions (this last one soon to be named' 24-'26 ), are not affected by this at all.

Hello Awesome People!

We have always believed that digital self-expression should be accessible, fun, and creatively empowering. From Facerig in 2014 to Animaze in 2025, our mission has been to open new roads, inspire, and give anyone the tools to become anything on camera – no matter who they are or where they're streaming from. Idealistically, we pursued doing that in a more challenging way, with its own render tech, not tied to a large corporation's gaming engine. Your avatars, your streams, and your creativity are the reason Animaze exists, are independent, and Fluffo and friends have a digital home.

Today, we need to share an important update that ensures Animaze can continue to exist.

Over the past 2 years, maintaining development, server infrastructure, support, and updates has become increasingly challenging. We are a tiny team, and our financial situation has reached a point where continuing under the current structure would eventually put Animaze at risk. We want to move forward, not wind down. We believe Animaze has a long future ahead – but to secure that future, we need to make a change.

With this update, free-tier sessions will be limited to 45 minutes per session, similar to what is happening on video conferencing platforms. All paid tiers will remain unlimited, unaffected, and continue to receive all full-feature access.

This was not an easy decision. Before this update, the free tier had no session limit, as it was deployed more on a social impact angle than a financially self-sustaining endeavor. That is why it never had any significant monetisation attached to it, neither data collection-based nor any ads.
We maintained that model for as long as we possibly could. But for Animaze to keep growing, to expand character features, improve tracking, fix bugs faster, build better tools, release more avatars, and actually deliver on the roadmap – we have to ensure the platform can sustain itself, and the costs we incur each month associated with the free tier are not currently being covered.

We know many of you rely on Animaze for streaming, content creation, VTubing, meetings, or just for fun and self-expression. If Animaze has been part of your voice online, we invite you to consider upgrading to a paid plan. Every subscription directly supports development, keeps our team working, and ultimately keeps Animaze alive for everyone. The 20 USD yearly cost for a regular sub we trust is not challenging anyone's yearly budget.

By upgrading to a paid tier, you help us:

• Bring back active development to a higher pace, instead of slowing or halting it
• Release new avatars, assets, tech improvements, and features faster • Ensure long-term stability so creators can rely on Animaze for years to come
• Keep a 45-minute free tier available for new users discovering avatar self-expression
• And last but not least: ensure that an independent platform for self-expression and free speech, that does not have to rely on render engines controlled by large corporations, like Unity and Unreal, continues to exist

If you love Animaze, if you want to see it evolve, if you want Fuffo to be around tomorrow, your support now matters more than ever.

For those who upgrade, thank you. You are directly powering the future of this platform.
For those who continue using the free tier, thank you as well – we hope Animaze still offers you value, creativity, and joy in every casual 45-minute session.

Over the last 11 years, we have worked to carry forward this tech in a way that is independent of larger corporations, stays accessible, and is unintrusive. With respect, transparency, and hope, we’re asking for your help now so we can carry Animaze even further.

Rokoko Support
Today's update also brings support for Rokoko's Studio motion capture output (body, hands, and face) via the VMC input layer, so the professional teams working with motion capture suits have more options now to bring their experiences to the stage using Animaze avatars and Rokoko motion capture hardware. Aniamze has been part of a very exciting initiative to revive muppet/puppet theatrical production with avatars, and we can't wait to see where this leads.

That is all for this update!

With respect, transparency, and hope for Fluffo's future,
Dragos, Catalin, and Alex.

Hello Awesome Folks!

Those of you who have been using the Next Version Beta branch this past weekend already know what this is about: Animaze Update 1.27.12692 is now officially deployed on the main branch!
Like always, the previous version will hang around for a while on the "Previous" beta branch.

If you need a reminder on how to navigate branches: https://www.animaze.us/faq/animazedesktop/navigatebranches

Here are the highlights:

• - Four new dance Special Actions (animations), to use with all mannequin-compatible 3D avatars.
• - Fixed a bug preventing some Mediapipe advanced tracking configs from being properly saved in certain circumstances.
• - Fixed a walk idle animation for mannequin-compatible 3D avatars
• - minor bug fixes.
• - web infrastructure optimisations.

Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting indie engines for Avatars and VTubing.

The Holotech Team:

Alex, Catalin, and Dragos.

Hello Awesome Folks!

Animaze 1.27.12653 is here, now on the default branch.
Those of you who were playing on the Next Version beta branch this weekend know some of this already.
We have a new improved webcam tracker experience for face and hands.

Hand tracking with just a webcam.

The hand tracking released this Friday on Next-Version went through several new improvements and is now live, no beta switch branch is required.
You can re-read the original details in the Friday announcement here 

Core face tracking changes for the webcam face tracker.

The Google Mediapipe Tracker has been getting better and better over the last year.
That is why it is now the new default tracker for Animaze webcam, not just for hands but for face as well. Please update your settings accordingly.
If you want to still use the old face tracker version in a transitional period, you can always use the Previous Version branch.

As always, we love hearing what you think about the new content and Animaze! Tell us what you’d like to see added to Animaze on our Discord server or email us at support[@]animaze[.]us

Thank you for being a part of our community, and for supporting indie engines for Avatars and VTubing.

The Holotech Team,
Alex, Catalin and Dragos.

Hello Awesome Folks!

We have a big update for you today! Because it is Friday and we don't want to affect your weekend streaming schedule with big changes only minutes before you start streaming, it will go live on Next-Version today, and will go on main on Monday!
Here are the highlights:

Hand tracking with just a webcam.
We're thrilled to announce that starting today Animaze has its own internal implementation for webcam-based hand tracking, sourcing data from the well-known MediaPipe tracker from Google.

To turn hand tracking on go to Settings-> Advanced Tracking Configuration-> Select Trackers and toggle on Hands under the Mediapipe (Default) Tracker.
Then, to tune the behavior (how much they move and how smooth the motion is) go to Settings-> Advanced Tracking Configuration->MediaPipe Hand Tracker.

Please give us feedback and let us know what you think. We will be fine-tuning it further.
In this first iteration, we've focused on webcam tracking users, so cannot yet be combined with the iOS face tracker: to use these new webcam-based hands for now the tracking needs to be all-webcam. If you use an iPhone for face tracking, no worries, we will be updating Animaze so you can mix them up later on.

The foundational work for full body tracking is also done, but we had to concede there is no practical way to accommodate proper face tracking camera positioning (needs to be near), and full body tracking camera positioning (needs to be far), with a single webcam. To have a proper experience, there is a clear need for dual or multi-webcam support, and things get quite complicated. That is partially why full-body mode is not being released today. Head and hands though work just fine and are practical with just one webcam.

We know that for some of you, hand and body tracking are already part of your arsenal, and indeed they have been possible in Animaze since the start using more complex sensors, or VMC support. However, some considered that a bit of a hustle to set up, so in 2024 we are taking steps to make it radically simpler and more accessible.

Core face tracking changes for the webcam face tracker layer.

The Google Mediapipe Tracker has been getting better and better over the last year so.
That is why starting with this update forward it will become the new default tracker for Animaze webcam, not just for hands but for face as well. Please update your settings accordingly.
If you want to still use the old face tracker version in a transitional period, you can always use the Previous Version branch.

As always, we love hearing what you think about the new content and Animaze! Tell us what you’d like to see added to Animaze on our Discord server, email us at support[@]animaze[.]us, or message us on Twitter!

Thank you for being a part of our community, and for supporting indie engines for Avatars and VTubing.

The Holotech Team,
Alex, Catalin and Dragos.

Whether you want them to shake their bones on the dancefloor, arm them with a helmet and hammer and be part of a DnD campaign, or do an old-school impersonation of Murray the demonic skull, we got your skeleton needs covered.

There are two versions, one classical, with empty eye sockets, and one more expressive with eyes and eyebrows, that somehow returned after rotting (just like a certain galactic emperor, it is best if you don't think about it too hard).
They are fully compatible with present (and future) and hand and body tracking.

Available on both Windows PC and iOS.

Thank you for supporting indie VTubing engine alternatives.
The Animaze team (Dragos, Alex and Catalin).

Hello Awesome People!

Big news:
Webcam-based hand and finger tracking, without a need for an external VMC sender or bespoke hardware, is now available in Animaze on the "Next-version" beta branch.

Please select it from the tracker list, test it, and send us your thoughts via email or Discord, as we will continue to tune the experience based on your feedback!
If you need a reminder on how to navigate branches:
https://www.animaze.us/faq/animazedesktop/navigatebranches
This module is in open beta, based on the Google Media Pipe tracker, supports simultaneous face, hand, and finger tracking from the same webcam input, and is available for everyone to test.

Items of note for this beta version:

- It can't be currently combined with other face trackers (for instance with iPhone face tracking). Naturally, this will be addressed before the official feature launch.
- It works with all 3D models that are Animaze mannequin compatible: native Animaze avatars, Ready Player Me, Union Avatars, VRM (0.0 and 1.00).
- For most avatars you might want to start either with "face as origin" setting toggled to on, or with it off, change Reference Origin settings in Advanced Tracking Configuration->MediaPipe Tracker, to adjust the tracking offsets to your specific setup.
- It does not yet work in Animaze Rooms (Animaze Multiplayer)
- Live2D support can be added but is currently on hold until we hear from Live2D artists information on which parameters (and parameter ranges) they want. The sooner we receive that information, the sooner we can plan for Live2D-specific parameters to be sent out.

Thank you for supporting indie VTubing engine alternatives.
The Animaze team (Dragos, Alex and Catalin).

A very cute baby seal avatar joins the Animaze Originals roster.

Will you use his cuteness to build your online empire, rivaling or even surpassing the likes of PuffPuff, TheOneManny, Obit or MagLobao?
You decide!

Available on both Windows PC and iOS.
If you do use iPhone tracking, we recommend you test him with direct mapping settings on and off too, and see how you like it best. We are partial to the interpreted mapping (not direct) in his case.

Thank you for supporting indie VTubing engine alternatives.
The Animaze team (Dragos, Alex and Catalin).

Hello Amazing People!

Today's update brings a new Capibara skin. Carlos the chill Capibara cosplaying as an intrepid explorer, Capybara Jones. We're also deploying client-server security certificate updates.

We are taking this opportunity to announce that the Animaze servers will be temporarily inaccessible for scheduled maintenance next week, on August 18th, at 10 AM Pacific Time (5:00 PM GMT). Please plan your streaming sessions accordingly. We apologize for any inconvenience.

https://youtu.be/ozUfESE7xgs

https://youtu.be/QSLC7HbpFVA

As always, we love hearing what you think about the new content and Animaze! Let us know what you’d like to see added to Animaze on our Discord server, or email us at support[@]animaze[.]us!

Thank you for supporting Indie Engine vTubing initiatives.

Happy Streaming,
Dragos, Catalin and Alex

Hello Awesome People!

We're happy to announce that the Animaze update featuring enhanced support for the Sony mocopi® sensor is now live on the main branch. Ultraleap Hyperion drivers can also be used starting with this version. 
Thank you to everyone who tested it on the Next Version preview last week. 

Using Sony mocopi you can enjoy fast, accurate body motions in both full-body and upper-body modes, overcoming the typical limitations of video-based body tracking. Animaze is now an official partner of Sony mocopi.
Three Raynos-chan avatars are also preinstalled in Animaze.

Here is where you can read more about Sony mocopi.
https://sony.net/mocopi-dev

Here is a video on connecting the mocopi app to Animaze PC.
How to Connect Sony mocopi® to Animaze - YouTube

If you have multiple network adapters (real or virtual), you may need to use Windows tools like ipconfig to find your PC's correct IP address, instead of simply copying over the autodetected one. Also, ensure to allow the connection in your firewall settings.

Detailed changelog is in the full-length post.

Thank you for supporting indie VTubing engine alternatives.
The Animaze team (Dragos, Alex and Catalin).