Good morning. We’re gearing up for TwitchCon in San Diego. If you’ll be there this weekend, be sure to let us know.

If not, follow along on our Instagram for behind-the-scenes content (and cute sea lion pics).

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

This past weekend, over 200K fans poured into New York City’s Javits Center to attend panels, meet other cosplayers, and get sneak previews of their favorite movies and TV shows. And in the eye of the storm—creators.

On panels: YouTube-native animation studio SpindleHorse hosted a session for their Prime Video series Hazbin Hotel, featuring the show’s creator Vivziepop. The studio sold exclusive merch at their booth, and had an advertisement in Times Square. SpindleHorse and Prime Video knew their target audience would likely be at the convention, and wanted to reach as many fans IRL as possible.

On the floor: Creators used Comic Con to go niche. Top Pops, a YouTuber that discusses collectibles to an audience of 3.3 million, showed off souvenirs across the convention floor—from a Swarovski-encrusted Spiderman to his own YouTooz figurine. Other creators like Afraz Explores, adventuresofluci, and Miajajah saw steep increases in views on content related to the convention.

On the other hand: With so many opportunities for creators to engage with their community IRL, larger events—especially the creator-focused ones like VidCon and TwitchCon—may begin to lose appeal.

YouTube recently changed its algorithm to promote more Members Only videos to users.

How it works: Previously, Members Only videos were kept in a separate tab from a channel’s free videos, and only pushed to the paying audience. Now, YouTube has combined both tabs, pushing more Members Only videos and less free videos in an attempt to convert fans into paid subscribers. 

Many creators have expressed frustration with this shift, as they feel it clogs their audience’s feed while not delivering enough additional channel revenue.

What creators are saying:

One creator’s solution: “The way I've made YouTube memberships work for me is basically by just not having members-only videos!” gaming creator Neuroplastic commented on Linus Tech Tip’s video. “Early access videos (and other goodies) are done with members-only posts containing unlisted links, specifically so they don't clog up the main video feed.”

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Adobe MAX returns October 28–30 in Los Angeles and online.

Calling all designers, illustrators, photographers, content creators, video pros—want to know more about the latest 3D and generative AI tools, expand your skills, and future-proof your career?

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Join MAX Online for livestreamed and on-demand keynotes, Sneaks, and select sessions.

OpenAI’s Sora 2 has remained #1 in Apple’s App Store, despite being invite-only. The rise in AI-generated videos has many creators concerned with its long-term impact:

Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson expresses worry about how fast the technology is advancing. 

“When AI videos are just as good as normal videos, I wonder what that will do to YouTube and how it will impact the millions of creators currently making content for a living…scary times,” Donaldson posted on X.

Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz opens up about her stalker gaining access to Sora 2, using her image to create unauthorized videos. 

“Thankful that Sora has the option to block and delete unapproved content with my image,” Lorenz said on X.

Jake Paul has become the subject of a Sora 2 meme, where users will create “Get Ready With Me” videos of Paul applying makeup and wearing dresses. Paul responded with a TikTok of his own, leaning into the joke by applying makeup. Worth noting: Paul is an OpenAI investor who has been “advising” the Sora 2 team for the past year. 

Big picture: Once again with AI, the toothpaste is out of the tube. While some creators lean into Sora 2’s dominance, even the biggest creators worry about fully AI social feeds damaging their businesses and the legal implications that follow.