YouTube has recently downsized its iconic YouTube Play Button plaques, sparking disappointment among creators. The Play Button plaques, a symbol of achievement for YouTube content creators, have long been awarded to those reaching significant subscriber milestones. These plaques are part of the various YouTube Play Button levels: a silver plaque is awarded for reaching 100,000 subscribers, while a gold plaque is granted at the 1 million mark. However, on August 22, 2024, an X user named Muaaz shared photos of the new, smaller plaques, revealing that the size of these awards has been significantly reduced, much to the dismay of many in the creator community.
Muaaz’s post quickly gained attention, with creators voicing their frustration and disappointment over the change. “YouTube resized the 100,000 and 1,000,000 Subscriber Play Buttons… they’re way smaller now,” Muaaz stated, alongside photos comparing the new plaques with the older, larger versions. The reaction from the community was swift and negative.
One creator commented, “What the f**k?! YouTube STOP!!! You have consistently made it worse and worse. These are some of the massive accomplishments we look forward to, and the last two sets of changes to these Play Buttons have been terrible!” This sentiment was echoed by others, with one user expressing that the timing of the change was particularly disheartening: “I know it might be stupid, but man I’m a bit crushed. To have this change happen the month my channel is going to hit a million is a little deflating.”
Another creator lamented the loss of the plaques’ grandeur, stating, “This looks so bad. What made the Gold Play Button so valuable was its size. Now that they’ve essentially taken that away, and they are just the same size now, there’s no essential need to target for it.” The downsizing has left many creators feeling that the awards no longer carry the same weight, both literally and figuratively, as they once did.
However, not all feedback was negative. Some creators welcomed the smaller size, noting that the more compact plaques would be easier to display in their setups. Others were simply happy to receive an award at all, regardless of its size, appreciating the recognition of their hard work.
This change comes shortly after Twitch announced its own new awards, the Bleed Purple Statue, which will be given to streamers who reach milestones of 5 million, 50 million, and 250 million watch hours on the platform. Meanwhile, the reaction to YouTube’s resizing decision has prompted widespread discussion. Many are now closely watching the most subscribed YouTube channels and awaiting an official comment from YouTube on the matter. As of now, the platform has not responded to the outcry from its community.
