Kai Cenat just went from sweeping trophies to hinting at retirement—all in the same weekend that his two-year reign as Streamer of the Year was snapped by IShowSpeed. It’s a turning-point moment for one of Twitch’s biggest stars, and the conversation around him is suddenly much bigger than views and subs.
From Record-Breaking Streams to “Probably” Retiring
At the 2025 Streamer Awards, Kai Cenat walked in as the obvious favorite and walked out with a very mixed bag.
- He was nominated in
five categories: Best Collab, Best Marathon, Best Streamed Event, Best Just Chatting Streamer, and Streamer of the Year.
- He
won four of them, sweeping everything except the top Streamer of the Year honor—setting a
record for most awards won by a single creator at the event.
- The big shock:
Streamer of the Year went to Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr., ending Kai’s two-year streak.
Despite the loss, the night still felt historic for Kai. During his Best Collab acceptance speech, he opened up about the toll of his massive
“Mafiathon 3” marathon, which shattered multiple Twitch records and left him struggling mentally afterward.
According to AllHipHop, in the wake of that success and awards run, Kai has now said he is
“probably” going to retire from streaming, hinting that he wants to pivot into new dreams and platforms rather than grind forever on Twitch. The piece makes clear he isn’t about to “walk away from the bag,” but that he’s actively thinking about
life beyond streaming and how to leverage his influence into other lanes.
The Mental Health Message Behind the Moment
Kai’s speech at the awards wasn’t just a flex—it was a warning and a bit of a confession.
Complex reports that while accepting
Best Streamed Collab, the 23‑year‑old urged other creators to
take care of their mental health, describing how the pressure after Mafiathon 3 hit him hard and how even something as simple as
anime helped him “find happiness” again.
Key ideas he pushed:
- Streaming at his level is
mentally exhausting, not just glamorous.
- Creators need to
protect their well‑being while facing nonstop content demands and attention.
- He framed his own struggles as a kind of cautionary tale for the next generation of streamers.
That context makes his “probably retiring” line feel less like a stunt and more like a logical next step: he’s already talking publicly about burnout, and he’s clearly aware that he’s at a career peak where he can choose his next lane rather than be trapped by the algorithm.
The Diddy Joke That Hijacked the Night
The Streamer Awards weren’t just about wins and speeches—they were also about a joke that blew up for all the wrong reasons.
Host
FanFan sparked backlash after making a Diddy-related joke aimed at Kai Cenat onstage. Hindustan Times reports that the joke landed poorly with viewers and social media users, who felt it was inappropriate given the serious allegations and controversies surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The Times of India notes that:
- FanFan referred to Kai as
“Diddy” in an awkward moment that many viewers immediately labeled
“not funny”.
- Clips of the exchange circulated online, with many calling out the joke as tasteless and out of line.
Ironically, while the controversy briefly hijacked the discourse, it didn’t dent Kai’s popularity with the voting audience:
- He still took home
Best Streamed Collab,
Best Streamed Event, and
Best Just Chatting Streamer.
- Coverage pointed out that the backlash was aimed at the joke and the host—not at Kai himself, whose standing with fans remains strong.
Why IShowSpeed Beat Kai for Streamer of the Year
So why did Kai, in the middle of a record-breaking run, lose the crown?
Multiple outlets frame
IShowSpeed’s win as a reflection of his
global reach and viral power in 2024–2025. The Times of India describes the result as a “major upset,” emphasizing:
- Speed’s
international footprint and ability to generate viral content across platforms.
- The fact that he
repeated his 2024 win, suggesting a sustained wave of momentum that outpaced even Kai’s.
Meanwhile, the event itself came under fire for
poor production quality, with critics questioning whether the Streamer Awards can maintain relevance if the show’s execution doesn’t keep up with the scale of the creators it celebrates. That criticism, however, didn’t overshadow the headline: Kai’s streak is over, and Speed now has back‑to‑back Streamer of the Year wins.
What Kai’s “Next Chapter” Could Look Like
AllHipHop’s reporting hints that Kai isn’t planning to vanish—he’s planning to
evolve.
The article frames him as someone who:
- Has
“the platform, the community, and the youth behind him”—real cultural leverage.
- Is now looking to
“shift that into new skill sets or new platforms”, potentially beyond traditional streaming.
While he hasn’t laid out a concrete roadmap publicly, there are a few likely directions based on how other top creators have moved:
-
Mainstream media & film – Acting, hosting, or producing shows, given his charisma and built‑in audience.
-
Business & brand building – Clothing lines, product collabs, or even founding his own media company.
-
Cross‑platform dominance – Doubling down on YouTube, TikTok, podcasts, or live tours that don’t require nonstop daily streaming.
The key point: his “probably retiring” comment sounds less like an exit and more like a
pivot from streamer to full‑scale entertainer and entrepreneur.
What This Means for Streaming Culture
Kai Cenat’s current moment says a lot about where streaming is headed:
-
Burnout is no longer a side note – When the biggest name in the game is openly talking about mental health and hinting at retirement at 23, that’s a red flag for the industry model built on constant output.
-
The awards race is getting more competitive – IShowSpeed breaking Kai’s streak shows how quickly dominance can shift in a creator economy built on virality.
-
Controversy is baked into the spotlight – The FanFan/Diddy incident underscores how one bad joke can overshadow achievements and how sensitive the cultural context has become.
For fans, the takeaway is simple:
don’t be shocked if “Kai Cenat the Twitch streamer” slowly becomes “Kai Cenat the multi-platform star”—and if his streams become rarer, bigger, and more event-like instead of a daily grind.
For creators, his story is a reminder that:
- Protecting your
mental health isn’t optional.
- Building a brand that can
outlive one platform is now the real endgame.
Sources
1. Kai Cenat Hints At Retirement From Streaming, But His New Dreams ...
2. Streamer Awards 2025: Why Kai Cenat didn’t win the Streamer of the Year award? What went wrong and more e
3. FanFan’s joke about Kai Cenat causes backlash at Streamer Awards 2025: here's what happened | Hindustan Times
4. “Not funny”: Viewers blast FanFan for calling Kai Cenat “Diddy” in awkward moment from the Streamer Award
5. Kai Cenat Advises Streamers to Take Care of Mental Health, Says Anime Helped Him ‘Find Happiness'
