Kai Cenat’s highly anticipated Fortnite Icon Series skin just dropped — but not everyone’s celebrating.
While many fans of the Twitch and YouTube star were hyped to see Cenat finally get his own Fortnite skin, a growing number of online users have taken to social media to criticize the collaboration. Some posts have called the skin’s emotes and voice lines “homophobic” and “transphobic,” sparking a heated debate across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Reddit.
“This is not the flex Epic thinks it is,” one user wrote. “Giving a platform to someone who’s made questionable comments about the LGBTQ+ community is a choice.”
Others called out specific in-game voice lines and dance animations as “tone-deaf” or “coded,” claiming they echo past moments of Kai’s controversial livestreams. Several clips are now circulating online, with commentators drawing parallels between the in-game content and real-life statements that critics say promote harmful stereotypes.
However, not everyone agrees. Supporters of Cenat say the criticism is overblown and argue that the backlash is being driven by out-of-context clips or old beefs.
“People are reaching,” one fan wrote. “Kai’s just being Kai. If you don’t like it, don’t buy the skin.”
Epic Games has not released an official statement regarding the criticism as of this writing. The company is typically strict about who they partner with for the Icon Series, previously featuring creators like Ninja, Lachlan, and TheGrefg — all of whom were held to public scrutiny in one way or another.
With the Fortnite skin already live in the item shop, it’s clear the drop was a commercial move — but now Epic may find itself caught in the crossfire between internet backlash and creator fandom.
Whether this controversy blows over or sparks a larger discussion about who gets platformed in the gaming world remains to be seen.
