Kai Cenat & IShowSpeed's Dramatic Chained Together Stream Has Fans Talking

"Chained Together" is having a bit of a moment right now. Not only has it gotten enough attention to inspire some "Fortnite" maps to copy its premise, but Anegar Games' latest title is getting a ton of exposure thanks to big-time streamers attempting to conquer its intentionally frustrating design. Players in "Chained Together" need to climb their way out of hell, and even though the game can be played solo, it's really all about working together. Teams of two to four players are linked by an infernal chain, meaning everyone needs to communicate and move with precision to beat the game's absurd obstacle courses and platforming puzzles.

Superstar streamer Kai Cenat jumped into the game after finding the perfect partner for the challengem traveling to Miami and meeting up with IShowSpeed to make a run for the ages. To get into the right headspace, Cenat and IShowSpeed literally chained themselves together before sitting down to stream an epic run of the game. They went in determined to see the end of "Chained Together," but neither of them were really prepared for the 12-hour climb to the top that awaited them. Neither were their viewers, who have been blown away by what occurred during the stream.

Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed started their "Chained Together" run with high hopes and tons of excitement, but it didn't take long for the streamers to start sabotaging themselves. The first sign of trouble came just over an hour into the stream, when Speed suggested that Cenat try pressing Alt + F4 – the shortcut for closing an application on Windows – to fix a problem in the game. Cenat fell for it, kicking off the now-infamous "tug-of-war" portion of the stream.

We've just started and Speed's already pulling the chain to pull Kai away from his desk😭😭😭pic.twitter.com/s9V1axibgK

— Amazing Video (@amazingvideo01) July 21, 2024

After that, the two managed to pull themselves together, but the road to victory was still filled with potholes. "Chained Together" is particularly good at demoralizing players, because a single mistake can mean slowly falling to the ground and losing hours of progress. Cenat and Speed experienced plenty of falls, and by the time they were nearing the 10-hour mark, they were losing steam.

Kai Cenat starts crying outta frustration after him and Speed fall while at their highest point in Chained Together 💀 pic.twitter.com/Vp5RvaMURK

— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) July 22, 2024

That fall isn't the most tragic thing to happen to IShowSpeed, but it still nearly caused him to break down. Cenat actually teared up a little, and the pair several minutes emotionally recovering. At that point, no one would have blamed them for quitting. Despite that, they stayed strong, and just a couple hours later they were staring victory in the face.

IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat each have the entire run, complete with the biggest successes and worst failures, edited down to one-hour highlight reels on their YouTube channels. "They never back down and never gave up. The definition of true legends," wrote one commenter. Another pointed out how Cenat's and Speed's dedication to the "Chained Together" run really reflects their approach to streaming: "Y'all [are] mentally unstoppable. Y'all didn't become this big by luck." Fans on X (formerly Twitter) shared in that sentiment. Some have expressed feeling genuinely inspired by the way Cenat and Speed managed to work together to overcome "Chained Together."

This game really teaches you patience and teamwork. I like how Kai was motivating speed at the end. Brotherhood 🤝

— Emma🇿🇦 (@EmmaSOUTHY) July 22, 2024

Others were more impressed by how much the game managed to break them down, with IShowSpeed even dropping his usual over-the-top energy by the end.

they've been playing so long that speed is out of character

— Hunter ✧ˊ (@y2khunter) July 22, 2024

No one was prepared for a 12-hour marathon stream, but Cenat and Speed managed to pull through. By the time they reached the end of the game, their arguments from the beginning of the stream seemed long forgotten. Sweet victory brought them together once more. "What's the most important thing?" Cenat asked at the end of the run. "We never quit." IShowSpeed echoed the feeling and added, "I love you, man, Kai. This was a journey."