Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry. This week, an influential Minecraft server is a hotbed for drama, Twitch’s top female streamer is back, and Chinese social media is all the rage.
Creator commotion
TommyInnit calls out Dream’s bad behavior. “Four years ago, you were awful to me.” That’s one of the crucial lines in TommyInnit’s excoriation of Dream, the titular figure behind the influential Minecraft server Dream SMP. What was once a meeting ground for friends is now a cesspool of infighting. Dream’s childish response to TommyInnit’s tongue-lashing shows that he’s just as immature as his former gaming buddy makes him out to be.
Allegations against Mizkif have been “thrown out,” the streamer said. Mizkif said that a defamation lawsuit against him “ruined his life” by claiming that he covered up sexual assault. The court presiding over that case has dismissed it, and Mizkif now plans to return to semi-regular uploads on his YouTube channel.
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SteveWillDoIt says his banning on YouTube “changed” him. In 2022, the Nelk member earned a permaban for a gambling-related infraction. Two years later, SteveWillDoIt is “not passionate” about content and doesn’t know how to proceed in his post-YouTube era. He also wants to know why other members of Nelk can promote gambling companies while he was banned for something similar. Good question.
Platform headlines
Valkyrae wastes no time at all before returning to the top of Twitch. Gamer Rachell Hofstetter reanimated her Twitch presence after the expiration of her streaming deal with YouTube. After getting 706,000 hours of watch time during her first week back, she became the most-watched woman on Twitch (again). Watch out, Valky: Last time you were the stream queen, there wasn’t a precocious VTuber angling to steal your crown.
Google, YouTube pledge $15 million to combat L.A. wildfires. The eight-digit donation joins other relief efforts organized by members of the tech and creator communities. Amazon and Disney are collaborating on a benefit concert, and individuals like xQc have raised thousands on their own to add to the running total.
Vimeo’s Best of the Year includes some award season hopefuls. Here’s the complete list. The top-ranked short, Sander Joon’s Sierra is as vibey as you’d expect from a lauded Vimeo upload. Sadly, with the platform limiting the scope of its Staff Picks, it risks losing some of its indie cred.
The biz
Mr. Make It Happen opens a restaurant in D.C. The self-proclaimed “self-taught home chef” has hit the big time with Fraiche, which will blend some of his favorite flavors from Southern cuisines. He couldn’t accomplish that rags-to-riches story on his own; he also has more than one million subscribers with whom he can share his success.
The PGA Tour’s latest apparel sponsor is Good (Good). 2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for Good Good Golf. The breakout YouTube hit is teaming up with PGA pros while also launching a unique live competition alongside the Golf Channel. It’s a good time to be the so-called “boy band of the links.”
Walmart sells physical goods on a Roblox avatar creator. Is Zepeto the retail outlet of the future? Walmart sure seems to think so — and recent search trends showing the popularity of avatar creation platforms help explain why.
Tales from the Red Note
Americans on Xiaohongshu are learning about Chinese censorship. The “Chinese Instagram” known internationally as Red Note has seen a surge of users ahead of the upcoming U.S. TikTok ban. Some of those new users are learning about the large number of verboten topics on China-controlled social media hubs. They might get some more guidance if Xiaohongshu hires the English-language moderators it’s reportedly recruiting. Speaking of which…
Mandarin lessons are skyrocketing on Duolingo. The number of Duolingo users who want to learn how to communicate with Chinese people has tripled in recent days. As someone who took two weeks of Mandarin lessons on Duolingo before getting frustrated and giving up, I wish all these newbies well. Also, how do you say “ice cream tastes good” in Mandarin?
Anyway, Xiaohongshu is reportedly worth $20 billion now. So say the investors who are looking to offload some of their stock. If Red Note can successfully retain the American users who are currently flocking to it, its valuation could soar even higher than it is right now.
The internet is a strange place
Bob Dylan is a little late to the whole TikTok thing. Did the legendary singer-songwriter troll us all by joining TikTok just a few days before the enactment of its U.S. ban? He poked fun at that reality with a clip of him saying, “good god, I must leave right away,” so he’s clearly in on the joke. If his fans booed him for playing an electric guitar, imagine how they’ll react when he becomes a Jason Derulo-level reposter.
Kallmekris learns the savagery of the romantasy community. The comedian was criticized for saying that some #BookTok faves lack substance and feature hackneyed writing. The backlash was so intense that she ended up apologizing for her claims. At least she didn’t get roasted and eaten alive by Violet Sorrengail’s dragons.
“Mukbang in the car.” Don’t do it. So says a doctor who advised people not to eat while driving. Ever since I read that headline, I’ve been singing “mukbang in the car” in my head to the tune of the Irish folk song “Whiskey in the Jar”.
