YouTube Shorts Change, Linktree add DMs, Twitch Streamer Shouts, and Is Twitch Chat Dead?

Good day all! A very short, to-the-point intro this morning, as I'm heading to Toronto to deal with some minor health issues, and I still need to pack! So, let's just jump right into it (after this little affiliate value push!)

🟪 TWITCH

• Are you being shouted at a lot on Twitch? That's because Twitch has expanded access to send (and receive) new Streamer Shouts.
• CEO Dan Clancy says Twitch now uses AI for brand safety purposes by transcribing all streams.
• Twitch now has Birthday Celebration as an optional stream event.
• Twitch is experimenting with random streamer notifications.
• Twitch plans to launch an Auto Raid feature that will raid from a list of channels you add to it if you don't manually raid at the end of your stream.
• Twitch Search now has a live thumbnail, VODs, and Popular Clips.
• Hatchet reports that the top Twitch Tags are DropsEnabled, VTuber, ADHD, Chill, and Esports.
• CommanderRoot shared his quarterly Twitch stats. An interesting increase in Twitch staff.
• September 2026 Year-over-Year stats are mixed: more viewers, fewer streamers, and less spend.
• Twitch has a Stream-o-Ween event where they added new Halloween-themed emotes to Hype Trains.
• The Stream-o-Ween event also has a new Premium Event tag that might put you on a homepage shelf.
• Twitch won a lawsuit against a Korean group that claimed the platform was financially responsible for years of streamed K-pop music.
• New Free Badges: Dragon's Dogma 2.
• New Paid Badges: Dragon's Dogma 2, Elden Ring, The Witcher 3

🟥 YOUTUBE

• YouTube announced a big change to the Shorts algorithm that will prioritize Original Content. I've been talking about this for a while, and where the trend will take us.
• YouTube shared a playbook on Sports content on the platform.
• The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will fully feature YouTube's Live Shopping experience.
• Creators are pausing Mukbang content because of YouTube's new rules on eating disorder content.
• YouTube released a Trends Report on Human Creativity and AI.

⬛ TIKTOK

• TikTok USA says it contributed $81B to the US GDP and 410,000 jobs in 2025.
• TikTok LIVE announced a Music on Stage 2026 event.

🟦 OTHER PLATFORMS

• WhatNot has an entire shopping mall-style "Liveplex" at NYCC.