Valorant Twitch controversy: Valorant’s Kai Cenat subscription gifting, explained

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 29/09/2025

The Valorant Twitch subscription gifting initiative has attracted criticism after the esports title topped the chart for gifted subs on Kai Cenat’s channel. 

Despite wild speculation about the gifted subscription cost circulating, Valorant’s position at the top of Kai Cenat’s chart is related to SUBtember 2025, Valorant’s subscription gifting initiative.

Why did the Valorant Twitch channel gift subs to Kai Cenat?

Valorant is currently running a campaign with Twitch named “SUBtember.” The SUBtember initiative is run by Twitch, with Valorant as its official sponsor. 

The initiative spans 34 days and includes various discounts or bonuses relating to Twitch subscriptions. 

The Valorant Twitch channel is involved to celebrate Champions, also known as VCT Champions, the pinnacle of Valorant’s competitive calendar. The tournament is currently ongoing in Paris.

Therefore, it is a marketing campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the Valorant Twitch channel and its VCT broadcasts. 

Did Valorant pay for the individual Kai Cenat subscriptions?

Questions were raised around the campaign after the Valorant Twitch channel appeared at the top of popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat’s Monthly Top Gifters chart. The chard showed the Valorant Twitch channel as having gifted 59,962 subscriptions. 

Kai Cenat broke the Twitch record for the most active subscribers during this year’s SUBtember. He has become the first streamer with 1 million concurrent subscribers. 

However, some fans were immediately frustrated seeing the Valorant Twitch channel on Kai Cenat’s gifting chart. Widespread criticism targeted the organisation for spending money on gifting subscriptions to a channel that already benefits from its existing popularity. 

Of course, Kai Cenat is far from a struggling Twitch streamer. 

It is most likely that Valorant gifted additional subscriptions both as part of the Bonus Gift Subs initiative and as independent additional gift subs. 

The standard Bonus Gift Subs initiative follows a strict rule. For every five gift subscriptions purchased for a channel, Valorant adds one bonus gift sub. 

However, to reach almost 60,000 gifted subscriptions, Valroant may have also added additional gift subscriptions. 

The additional gift subscriptions are mentioned in Twitch’s SUBtember announcement. But, it is not explained how these work or how many can be given. They are not attached to other gifts from the community. 

Nevertheless, it has been explicitly clarified that Valorant sponsors the event and is not actively gifting subscriptions from the Valorant Twitch account. 

Therefore, claims that Valorant spent upwards of $360,000 on gift subs are misguided. However, it does not mean that community discomfort over the initiative is invalidated. 

Valid frustration, misguided outlet: why are fans so angry about the Valorant Twitch gifted subs?

Most of the frustration surrounding the Valorant Twitch channel and SUBtember relates to the currently struggling Tier Two competitive scene. 

Recent struggles to create a healthy Tier Two ecosystem that prepares teams for Tier One competition have cast significant doubt over Riot Games’ management of the scene. 

For example, Gentle Mates’ relegation from the VCT prompted questions over whether there was hope left for the Tier Two scene at all.

Fans are also disappointed that Valorant has not used the more loosely defined additional gift subscriptions to highlight and uplift Valorant creators. 

There are many streamers actively contributing to the distribution and commentary of the VCT broadcast. In contrast, Kai Cenat is more closely associated with the Battle Royale game Fortnite after his recent Kai Cenat Fortnite Icon Series skin release. 

Although their position on Kai Cenat’s gifting chart creates temporary buzz, it does little to celebrate Champions Paris. 

Celebrating the competition is what Head of Valorant Esports at Riot Games, Leo Faria, claimed was the campaign’s purpose.  

Therefore, fans feel that the campaign – whether in Valorant’s direct control or not – is not accurately representing those they believe should be rewarded in their own community.

So, the Valorant Twitch channel did not directly pay for Kai Cenat’s gifted subscriptions.

Nevertheless, fans do have valid reasons for their frustration. They are simply slightly misdirected.

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

All Posts By Hannah Marie ZT