xQc Talks Subathons and Reveals Why He Avoids Them
Félix “xQc” Lengyel is a major force in the streaming world, with his earnings being among the highest in the industry. However, despite this success, xQc has never done subathons — and the Kick streamer has revealed his reasons.
Subathons have become an important element in the streaming world, as they are both engaging for viewers and beneficial for creators. Kai Cenat is arguably the most famous streamer who made subathons more mainstream by collaborating with Hollywood celebrities. Other creators have done subathons of their own, with xQc having talked about such events over the course of several years but never hosting one.
xQc claims subathons feel like rich streamers begging for money
The Kick streamer has been talking about doing a subathon since as early as 2021. Initially, he announced that he would do a 60-day subathon, which was ultimately postponed. He then talked about doing a 90-day one in 2022, but that also didn’t come to pass. The streamer also talked about hosting in 2023 and then stated he has to do one in 2024 because he was behind on hours under his contract. It’s important to note that none of these subathons were actually held despite major fan interest.
In September 2026, xQc was going through Google searches, and one of them queried whether he had ever done a subathon. He talked about how back in the day, subathons were for streamers who had a low number of subscribers, and they “would beg for money”. xQc elaborated that those streamers hosted 2-day or 3-day subathon events, and the revenue would last them anywhere from a month to multiple months.
The Kick streamer described the current new-age subathon events as being about “getting as much money as possible,” with streamers hosting longer streams and asking viewers for support. He claimed that the streamers are already rich, so questioned what kind of support they require from their audience.
The reaction to xQc’s comments has been mixed, with some agreeing that the current subathons seem to be a way to milk audiences for money because the creators are already rich and earn substantial revenue. However, others disagree, claiming that the new generation subathon events are about larger-scale content, collaboration, and for streamers to build a rapport with their community.
Kai Cenat may be the most notable name when it comes to subathons, as the streamer’s Mafiathon events have done everything from collaborating with Kim Kardashian for its trailer to bringing on Hollywood actor Kevin Hart on the livestream. Brittany “Cinna” Lynn Watts‘s Cinnathon was one of the latest subathon events, as it was hosted in August 2026. Cinnathon saw the streamer become the second-most-subscribed Twitch female creator of all time, and then hit the number 1 active subscriber spot before the event’s finale.
☑️ My take: Subathons have indeed evolved from their original purpose
xQc’s claim that initially subathons were held for mere days is true, but the main premise behind these events involves the timer extending as subs increase. Ludwig Ahgren’s subathon changed things spectacularly, as it lasted 31 days.
The initial plan was for the event to last a few days, which was considered the normal duration, but subscribers continued to flow in, and the streamer’s subathon became the longest-running on Twitch. Ironically, xQc’s initial subathon announcement was to break Ludwig’s record, while Ahgren hasn’t done another subathon since then. Ludwig revealed that he doesn’t want his viewers to pay for his revenue, which is why he has never done another subathon..
Ludwig’s record was eventually broken by Kai Cenat, who became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer. Kai Cenat was the game-changer for subathons with his Mafiathon events. The streamer literally changed how subathons worked by bringing in celebrities and influencers as guests. While collaborations were already common in subathons, Kai essentially brought Hollywood into the streamer space, gained more mainstream exposure, and consistently increased the subscriber milestone with each iteration of Mafiathon.
xQc’s comments aren’t wrong, but the Kick streamer is talking about how subathons were back when streaming wasn’t large scale or common. Now creators and audiences both expect content to be big budget events, and what Kai Cenat did with Mafiathon is now becoming a template that creators are trying to follow.
Image credit: xQc
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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