On June 8, 2026, the YouTube Blog published a curated watchlist titled “The ultimate YouTube watchlist for ‘Backrooms,’ ‘Obsession,’ and ‘Iron Lung’ fans.” The post highlights the early uploads of three creators—Curry Barker, Markiplier, and Kane Parsons—before they released their respective horror projects that have since garnered significant attention on the platform.
The watchlist serves as a discovery tool, directing viewers who enjoy the finished horror works to the creators’ formative content. By showcasing these precursor videos, YouTube encourages audiences to trace the artistic evolution of Barker, Markiplier, and Parsons, offering context for the themes and styles that later appeared in Backrooms, Obsession, and Iron Lung.
From a creator‑business perspective, the feature aligns with YouTube’s strategy of surfacing deeper catalog content to boost overall watch time. Highlighting older videos can revive interest in legacy uploads, potentially increasing ad revenue and subscriber growth for the featured creators. It also demonstrates how the platform can be used to cross‑promote a creator’s body of work, linking niche hits to their broader portfolios.
The blog post does not specify exact view counts or revenue figures; instead, it focuses on the conceptual value of guiding fans toward foundational material. This approach supports YouTube’s goal of fostering long‑term engagement by helping audiences explore beyond a single viral hit and appreciate the full creative journey of their favorite makers.
Overall, the watchlist exemplifies how YouTube leverages its editorial capabilities to connect fans with creators’ earlier efforts, reinforcing the platform’s role as both a distribution channel and a curator of creator narratives.

