21-year-old Kai Cenat is one of the biggest streamers on Twitch, but for several weeks now, rumors have been circulating about a possible switch to the competing platform Kick. Now Twitch has banned its star, and a German streamer is immediately on the scene.
What kind of streamer is he? Kai Cenat has only been streaming since early 2021, but during this time, he has already risen to become one of the biggest streamers on Twitch. In September 2022, he overtook former Overwatch professional Félix “xQc” Lengyel in terms of paid subscriptions. Even back then, he felt not adequately supported.
With his Subathon in February 2023, Kai Cenat broke two records on Twitch: as the first streamer, he reached over 300,000 concurrent subscriptions and pushed previous record-holder Ludwig Ahgren off his throne.
Moreover, Kai Cenat is important for Twitch, as there are relatively few black content creators with his reach, and he represents an identification figure for young black viewers.
What is the problem with Twitch? Despite these undeniable successes, Kai Cenat apparently feels abandoned by Twitch. Even the well-known musician Drake advocated for an exclusive contract for the 21-year-old.
Instead, Twitch only gave him a pair of purple shoes. On top of that, a ban has now been imposed, which is now the fifth for Kai Cenat – and the last, according to a German streamer.
Twitch bans its star
Why was Kai Cenat banned? Currently, only speculation can be made about this. What is certain is that he was banned on April 17 for an unknown period, as the automated Twitter account StreamerBans reported.
Possible reasons include statements about white people that rapper Lil Yachty allegedly made in a stream of Kai Cenat. Alternatively, a clip from a recent stream is being discussed, in which the 21-year-old rides a dirt bike through his room and promptly crashes into his desk.
For Kai Cenat, it is the fifth ban, as the fourth one occurred just at the end of January this year, after he consumed too many edibles in a stream and allegedly lost consciousness. If Twitch follows the pattern, it could once again be a three-day suspension.
The platform, as usual, does not publicly justify its decision. The streamer himself merely posted “BANNED” in capital letters on his Twitter account. Some viewers suggest a switch to the new streaming platform Kick, and a German streamer also chimes in.
“It’s time for Kick”
Who is calling for the switch? Among the voices calling for Kai Cenat’s switch to Kick is also the German streamer Theo “Scurrows” Bottländer. He became famous on Twitch with role-playing in GTA V but mainly showed the gambling category Slots in 2022.
After the gambling guidelines from Twitch, valid since October 2022, had cost Scurrows and other casino streamers many viewers, he began streaming on Kick at the beginning of 2023 and became a fervent advocate of the platform.
Under Kai Cenat’s tweet, Scurrows wrote: “It’s time for Kick”:
But Scurrows is by no means the only one thinking in this direction. The comments are full of suggestions to turn their backs on Twitch. That Tyler “Trainwreck” Niknam, a gambling streamer and figurehead of Kick, is also involved is less surprising (via Twitter).
However, a hint like that from the legendary Minecraft YouTuber Dream might have been less expected:
How does Kai Cenat react? He has not commented further on the ban or a possible switch. However, rumors that he might be in talks with Kick have been circulating since he compared a pair of green sneakers, the color of the streaming platform, with the Twitch version (via Twitter).
Kick streamers are currently busy recruiting for their platform. Because Kick lures with a generous sub-split and a rather lenient interpretation of the rules, which, however, should be worked on. This is precisely what makes the platform attractive for streamers, who often operate at the edge of what is permitted or may have already received a permanent ban from Twitch.
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