TOGETHER WITH

It's Monday, and a TikToker is leading the charge to buy Spirit Airlines in bulk—a goal that has already attracted 36,000 pledges totaling $23 million.

Today’s News

💸 Roblox ups dev earnings
🏆 The Oscars bans AI performers
🤝 FaZe Clan’s CORE members reunite
🎬 Banjiay adapts a game show
🎙️ This week on the podcast…

GAME ON

Roblox is rewarding developers of “novel games.”

Roblox will raise devs’ earnings by 42%—if they make games for adults

The rate bump: In February, Roblox CEO David Baszucki told Yahoo Finance that the platform had seen 50% year-over-year growth in players ages 18 and up. He added that Roblox aimed to target adult players through a “genre expansion” of titles with potential to become “cultural phenomena.”

Now, the platform is putting that plan into action with a Developer Exchange price hike that’ll increase the amount developers of “novel games” make from 18+ players.

The DevEx rate controls how Roblox’s in-game currency, Robux, cashes out into real-world currency for developers. Starting June 8, developers of “novel games” (aka “genre-defining” titles with “deeper gameplay [and] distinct visuals”) made using R15—a system within Roblox’s engine that upgrades avatars “with advanced skeletal joints” and smoother motion—will see a 42% bump in the exchange rate from Robux spent by 18+ players.

That means devs’ rate will go from the usual $0.0038/1 Robux to $0.005396/1 Robux, making 30,000 Robux equivalent to ~$162 instead of $114.

“In the U.S., the 18 to 34 user cohort on Roblox monetizes over 50% higher than our under 18 users. This rate increase…will apply to in-game spend like game passes, Robux subscriptions, select in-game items, and private servers.”

- Roblox

The context: When it comes to supporting novel game developers, Roblox isn’t stopping at exchange rates.

In March, the platform launched both the Roblox Incubator program (designed to “help experienced teams turn promising concepts into commercially successful games”) and the Roblox Jumpstart program (for “creators who are new to Roblox, or are exploring new types of games”). So far, Roblox says those two programs have attracted over 8,000 applicants.

The platform is also tweaking its game discovery engine “to prioritize long-term retention,” as well as “amplifying discovery” for novel games with a new “Standout Games” section on Roblox’s home page.

🌟 SPONSORED 🌟

Tribeca Festival just revealed an unprecedented TV and podcast lineup for 2026

This June, Tribeca Festival will take over New York City with an expansive television lineup and its most ambitious podcast slate to date.

A dynamic mix of world premieres, TV milestones, and exclusive conversations will include…

Live events featuring Radiolab, The New Yorker Radio Hour, and Lemme Say This, with guests like Peter Dinklage, Adam Scott, and Laurie Anderson
A special panel celebrating the 50th season of Survivor with fan-favorite players Cirie Fields, Rob Cesternino, Kyle Fraser, Kamilla Karthigesu, Teeny Chirichillo, and Jonathan Penner
The world premieres of HBO’s Not A Very Good Murderer and The Palladino Files, created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow alongside Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato

Attendees will gain an exclusive look at Tribeca Festival’s specially curated podcast lineup, including a first-time expansion into Spanish-language programming like Nacional II: la ruta del exilio from La República Independiente de La Radio.

Reserve your spot at the festival for access to live tapings of The New York Times’ Cannonball with Wesley Morris, Vox Media’s On with Kara Swisher (featuring comedian Marc Maron), Slate's Death, Sex & Money (with host Anna Sale), and more.

Tribeca Festival is set to take place from June 3-14. Tickets are on sale now.

Explore Tribeca Festival →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

AI actors like Tilly Norwood won’t receive any awards at the 2027 Oscars.

The Oscars is cracking down on AI. The Academy's updated rules clarify that "synthetic" performers and AI-written screenplays won’t be eligible for awards beginning in 2027. (Engadget)
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is in full swing, with the X owner testifying in court that “the entire foundation of charitable giving in America” is at stake. (Gizmodo)
As demand for AI Christian content continues to rise across social media, more and more creators are reportedly paying freelancers on platforms like Fiverr to generate Bible-themed clips. (The Verge)
Minnesota is the first state to pass a law banning AI apps that allow users to generate nude or sexualized images of real people. (Ars Technica)

CREATOR COMMOTION

The boys are back in town.

After an epic collapse, FaZe Clan’s CORE members are reuniting

The crew: Five months after FaZe Clan‘s collapse, some of its best-known alumni are getting the band back together. Marlon, Adapt, Lacy, Stable Ronaldo, Silky, and JasonTheWeen are the founding members of CORE, a new group centered around a classic creator house setup.

All six members of the CORE crew were previously signed to FaZe Clan, which—at its peak—was a power player operating at the intersection of gaming, entertainment, and creator content. That, of course, was before the brand imploded following several ill-advised attempts to increase its scope and visibility.

One of the biggest blows was the failure of FaZe’s plan to become a publicly traded company, which backfired when investors didn’t deliver the needed funding. The brand was later sold to esports company GameSquare and led by founding member FaZe Banks, who, as CEO, built a controversial roster that included both familiar and new members.

Then, last Christmas, the majority of FaZe’s creator roster suddenly left the organization, turning it into a shell of its former self. CORE’s founding members all participated in that mass exodus.

The future: Amid all that turmoil, longtime FaZe creators argued that the org should look inward and return to its roots. That’s what the members of CORE (which stands for “Create, Own, Run, Everything”) aim to do. By hanging out at a $20 million house, the group will be able to produce the old-school vlog content that populated FaZe’s channels in previous years.

FaZe Banks is not a CORE member, though he is supporting the group’s mission. In a live stream, he claimed that FaZe “succeeded” thanks to his support, although he also acknowledged the financial uncertainty that contributed to its creator exodus.

Now, the members of CORE will have a chance to correct some of FaZe’s mistakes while allowing nostalgic fans to revisit the glory days of gaming entertainment.

TV TIME

‘Stop The Train’ is getting the TV treatment.

A TV production company is picking up a creator game show

The production: Paris-based media company Banijay, which produces hit reality competition franchises like Survivor and MasterChef, is picking up Stop The Train, a game show format developed for YouTube by the French creator Squeezie.

Banijay will handle international distribution for Stop The Train, which consists of a series of challenges set aboard a moving train. The plan is to produce a bigger version of the show that can be sold to TV networks and streaming services. Squeezie’s audience of 20 million YouTube subscribers may have drawn Banijay’s attention in the first place, but his sprawling vision will be the attribute that turns Stop The Train into an international hit.

“We have a lot of ideas that aren’t realistically doable on YouTube because they’re too expensive to produce. But we’d rather wait until they become possible with the creator economy rising, so we can stay independent and do it exactly as we imagine.”

- Squeezie via The Ankler

The growth: This isn’t the first time Banijay has built a bridge between the game show world and the creator economy. In Brazil, a creator-led version of MasterChef premiered last year. Then, at the MIPCOM conference in October 2025, Banijay ramped up efforts to bring game shows to YouTube by establishing an Entertainment Creators Lab that pairs its properties with the creator partners who can best reenergize those formats.

What’s interesting about the Squeezie deal is that it moves in the opposite direction. After getting millions of views online, Stop The Train will expand to a global audience thanks to Banijay’s assistance.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

Jesser is turning his content empire into a multimillion-dollar company.

This week on the podcast…

The episode: On the latest installment of Creator Upload, hosts Joshua Cohen and Lauren Schnipper sit down with JesserCo President Zach Miller to discover how Jesser is transforming his YouTube channel into a multimillion-dollar holding company. Strategic reorganization is the name of the game, from diversifying revenue streams to hiring top executives from Adidas and mitigating “key man risk.”

Tune into the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to learn more about Jesser’s evolving sports empire.

The survey: Creator Upload wants your opinion! Take this survey to help us understand who’s tuning in and what you want more (or less) of from the show.