Kai Cenat’s Fortnite Icon Skin Faces Backlash Amid Old Rivalries and Controversies
- Sagar Mankar
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Streamer Kai Cenat is officially joining Fortnite’s Icon Series, following in the footsteps of Ninja, MrBeast, Loserfruit, Ali-A, and other big names. His bundle will include not just the skin, but also extras like Backbling and a Pickaxe.
Normally, this kind of reveal sparks celebration, but Kai’s debut has taken a rockier turn. Instead of hype alone, the announcement has been overshadowed by criticism, controversy, and plenty of online debate.
So what went wrong? A big part of the backlash connects back to Kai’s ongoing rivalry with fellow streamer Adin Ross. Earlier this month, Adin challenged Kai to donate $400,000 to TeamWater — a charity campaign launched by MrBeast and Mark Rober aiming to raise $40 million for clean water projects. Adin promised he’d match the donation or still put up $100,000 if Kai declined. Fans quickly latched onto the challenge, and when Kai stayed silent, critics began questioning his priorities.
Things really heated up when Kai’s Fortnite skin was revealed at the Las Vegas Sphere, one of the priciest digital billboards in the world. With an estimated cost of around $450,000 per day, the flashy display looked incredible but also raised eyebrows. Many of Adin’s supporters argued that if Kai could spend big on promotion, he should have stepped up to support TeamWater too. The timing made the connection hard to ignore.
And that wasn’t the only issue. Fans also resurfaced Kai’s 2024 promise to build a school in Makoko, Nigeria, a project that hasn’t seen any visible updates since. Adin’s crew wasted no time reminding everyone of the unfulfilled pledge, fueling the narrative that Kai is focusing more on big branding moves than on meaningful community commitments.
Another complaint was that Kai doesn’t really play Fortnite enough to “deserve” a skin compared to creators like Ninja or IShowSpeed. But this argument feels shaky — after all, MrBeast has his own skin too, and he’s hardly grinding Fortnite lobbies every night. Fortnite’s Icon Series has always been about cultural influence as much as in-game dedication.
Ninja himself defended Kai during a live stream on the same point. When asked why Cenat got a skin before other creators, Ninja replied: “There are creators who have Icon skins and then there’s just Icons. It’s safe to say he’s up there in the streaming scene.” He even pointed out that Epic has added celebrities like Eminem, Billie Eilish, and Harry Kane, none of whom are tied to Fortnite gameplay.
At the end of the day, Kai’s Fortnite crossover has people talking — whether they love it or hate it. The Sphere reveal also doubled as the announcement for his upcoming Mafiathon 3, which he hinted might be his last big subathon, leading right into the skin’s September 12, 2025, release.