Have you heard? Gaming Historian says so long, Ms. Rachel sells shoes, and TikTok ad exec moves on.

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 esteemed video essayist is saying goodbye to his channel, a family-friendly educator is getting her kicks, and change is coming to TikTok’s ad division.

Creator commotion

Happy trails to the Gaming Historian. For more than 15 years, Norman Caruso has published video essays that tell the stories of the most iconic franchises in the gaming world. Now, as burnout takes its toll, Caruso is saying goodbye to his Gaming Historian persona. He left his million-plus subscribers with one last factoid: A run-through of the 1984 legal battle between Universal Studios and Nintendo.

iShowSpeed is set for his pro wrestling debut. At WrestleMania 42, the man who was born to be a heel will step into the squared circle for his official WWE debut. The event kicks off on April 18; will Speed’s Monkey D. Luffy-inspired stretchy arms be ready in time?

Is Manchester the U.K.’s hot new influencer hub? Inspired by pioneering creators like Molly-Mae Hague and Zoella, influencers have started filling up high-rise apartments in the third-most populous urban area in the U.K. This is your regular reminder that cities with less-expensive costs of living tend to find themselves on creators’ radars.

The biz

For Ms. Rachel, it’s gotta be the shoes. The kind-hearted educator, who shepherds a massive audience of “littles” on YouTube and Netflix, has announced her first shoe deal. Stride Rite shoppers can pick up the colorful, intricate designs for their own littles. The line will roll out across two waves: One in the spring and one in the fall.

Alix Earle needed no time at all to sell out her latest skincare drop. The TikToker’s newest product is Reale Actives, a product collection focused around acne. Within five minutes of the initial launch, Reale Actives had racked up $1 million in sales. Seven digits is no problem at all when you’re one of the internet’s favorite it-girls.

Movers and shakers

TikTok’s Khartoon Weiss is moving on to pursue “a new opportunity.” Weiss, who was TikTok’s top ad exec in North America, hasn’t yet revealed what her next move will be. Thanks to her departure, TikTok will have to replace the operative who spearheaded the app’s recent presentation at the NewFronts.

An expert in influencer campaigns is venturing into the Open World. At gaming consultancy Open World, which is affiliated with talent firm Loaded, StreamHatchet and BENlabs vet Justin Smith has joined as the SVP of Marketing. Smith wrote about his excitement regarding “the future of consumer marketing in gaming,” which he is now in position to unlock.

Tuma Basa’s eight-year stint at YouTube is coming to an end. Basa joined the platform in 2018 as its Director of Black Culture and Music. Now, he’s ready to confront “my next chapter” as he closes the book on his YouTube tenure. Basa’s previous work experience included stints at MTV and Spotify.

Games and sports

MLB is inviting the next generation of fans to step into the Clubhouse. With a youth-focused YouTube channel, the MLB wants to turn more kids into diehard baseball fans. If the MLB finds a way to bring Scooter back, it will be moving The Clubhouse in the right direction.

Jynxzi’s budding chess career is bringing him to PogChamps. After getting tutelage from GothamChess, the Rainbox Six Siege streamer has thrown himself into the next edition of Chess.com’s creator tournament. The upcoming PogChamps is titled “6-7,” so I’m going to need to check my analysis engine to determine whether that name is a blunder.

Pop culture minute

Exit 8 has gone from streamer favorite to cinematic smash. The reviews for the new video game adaptation have characterized it as a shining example of its genre. The success of Exit 8 puts a little more pressure on the upcoming Backrooms adaptation, which will need to up the ante in terms of liminality and vibes.

Comedian Mark Normand is staging some Human Trials on YouTube. Normand’s upcoming show will put comedians in front of niche audiences like clowns or bald men. It’s not exactly a MrBeast-level challenge, but there’s an idea: What if Normand made his guest perform in front of 50 people who look like MrBeast?

The internet is a strange place

Are TikToker’s “catholicmaxxing” now? A recent trend piece claimed that the For You Page has filled up with videos that pay tribute to the father, son, and holy spirit. I would say the Pope is a little more likely to bless this trend than he is to publicly validate looksmaxxing.

Law and Order: SVU did a VTuber storyline. The long-running procedural loves its “ripped from the headlines” scenarios, and an episode centered around a VTuber who confesses an assault to her fans certainly fits that description. The SVU produces went deep into the VTuber world to pull off this plot, so let’s give them a (virtual) round of applause to commend them for their research.

The Bunch of Friends channel will end when one of its hosts get married. I do hope one of the friends finds love before any two of the hosts have a falling-out, because if not, this setup could turn 90-Day Fiancee real quick.