Meg Turney
Megan LeeAnn Turney (born March 12, 1987) is an American cosplayer, glamour model, and internet content creator specializing in gaming and streaming.[1][2] She rose to prominence through hosting roles in online media, including daily news segments for SourceFed from 2012 to 2014 and Rooster Teeth's The Know from 2014 to 2016, where she covered entertainment, technology, and pop culture topics.[3] Turney is particularly noted for her detailed cosplay work depicting characters from video games and anime, which she has showcased at conventions and in modeling gigs.[4][5] Following her departure from Rooster Teeth in 2016, Turney transitioned to independent content creation, establishing herself as a Twitch Partner with over 117,000 followers, primarily streaming multiplayer games such as Dead by Daylight and hosting community interactions.[6] Her YouTube channel, active since 2009, features vlogs, gameplay highlights, and cosplay tutorials, amassing around 284,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views.[7] Turney has also pursued voice acting, including the role of Neon Katt in the animated series RWBY, and maintains an OnlyFans account for exclusive modeling content since 2020.[2] While her career has included personal challenges, such as a 2018 privacy breach involving leaked photos, she has sustained a focus on niche gaming audiences and fan engagement without major professional disruptions.[8]Early life
Background and upbringing
Megan LeeAnn Turney was born on March 12, 1987, in Austin, Texas, where she was raised.[9][1] As a youth in the Austin area, Turney cultivated early interests in video gaming, anime, and hands-on creative pursuits including costume fabrication.[8] These hobbies manifested in her attendance at her first fan convention in 2001, marking an initial foray into convention culture despite not yet participating in cosplay.[10] Turney has described acquiring skills in media-related areas through self-directed learning rather than extensive formal training.[11]Professional career
Entry into online media and SourceFed (2012–2014)
Meg Turney began her professional involvement in online media in 2012 when she joined SourceFed, a YouTube-based channel produced by Revision3 that covered technology, gaming, and pop culture news through short-form video segments.[3] Selected as one of the initial batch of hosts by Philip DeFranco, Turney debuted alongside Trisha Hershberger and Steve Zaragoza, contributing to the channel's expansion from its original solo format. Her role involved delivering commentary on trending topics such as video game releases and tech developments, often in a fast-paced, humorous style that aligned with SourceFed's irreverent tone.[12] Turney's hosting emphasized engaging delivery and quick wit, which helped sustain viewer interest amid daily uploads that amassed millions of views collectively for the channel.[13] She also contributed writing for the SourceFed website, supporting the production of scripts and articles tied to video content, thereby honing skills in content creation and audience interaction fundamental to digital media. This period marked her transition from personal vlogging—having registered her YouTube channel in 2009 but only beginning regular posts in 2012—to structured professional output.[14] Through SourceFed, Turney cultivated an early online following on YouTube, where her appearances in gaming-focused segments, such as reviews of titles like Borderlands 2, resonated with niche audiences.[15] She began integrating elements of her cosplay hobby into her public persona during this time, as evidenced by instructional content like a 2013 SXSW panel on cosplay techniques presented in her capacity as a SourceFed host, blending her hosting duties with personal interests to enhance viewer relatability.[16] This approach contributed to her visibility within geek culture communities, setting the stage for broader recognition without overshadowing the channel's core news format.Rooster Teeth involvement (2014–2016)
Meg Turney transitioned to Rooster Teeth Productions in 2014 following her departure from SourceFed, with the company announcing her hiring on May 30 to host their news channel The Know starting June 1.[17] In this role, she delivered daily updates on entertainment, gaming, and technology news, debuting in an episode that same month and contributing to the channel's expansion under a team including Ashley Jenkins and Joey Aranda.[17] Her hosting emphasized engaging delivery suited to Rooster Teeth's audience, leveraging her prior online media experience.[18] Turney also co-hosted Free Play alongside Ryan Haywood, a series focused on gaming news, industry analysis, and occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into Rooster Teeth projects, which ran for multiple seasons during her tenure.[2] This show highlighted her involvement in the company's gaming content ecosystem, blending commentary with promotional elements for Rooster Teeth's animations and productions. She collaborated with staff members, including partner Gavin Free of The Slow Mo Guys, in various capacities such as appearances tied to events and music videos distributed by Rooster Teeth.[19] At Rooster Teeth-organized RTX conventions, Turney showcased cosplay, notably portraying Vav from the company's X-Ray and Vav series at RTX 2014, integrating her modeling background into promotional activities that drew fan engagement..jpg) These appearances underscored her role in enhancing the event's interactive appeal, with panels and cosplay displays contributing to attendance figures exceeding tens of thousands annually during this period.[20]