Who is ninja?
Birthplace and family Richard Tyler Blevins was born on June 5, 1991, in Taylor, Michigan, U.S. His heritage is Welsh and he has two older brothers, Jonathan and Chris.Education and early interest in gaming Blevins grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Grayslake Central High School. He began gaming professionally shortly after high school, joining tournaments and streaming games.
Professional gaming debut
Entry into eSports Blevins began playing Halo 3 competitively in 2009, joining several eSports teams including Cloud 9, Renegades, and Team Liquid. In 2017, he joined Luminosity Gaming and competed in games such as H1Z1 and PUBG.
Fortnite and rise in popularity Ninja’s career began in late 2017 when he began streaming Fortnite Battle Royale, a game that grew in popularity alongside his own rise on Twitch.
Success on Twitch
Record-breaking streams Blevins gained mainstream media attention in March 2018 by streaming Fortnite alongside celebrities such as Drake, Travis Scott, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, breaking Twitch’s concurrent viewer record.
Huge follower base By March 2024, Ninja had amassed over 19 million followers on Twitch, making his channel the most-followed channel on the platform.
Brand partnerships and collaborations
Collaborations with brands Blevins partnered with Red Bull eSports, even appearing on limited-edition Red Bull cans. He was also paid by Electronic Arts to promote Apex Legends in 2019.
Icon Series in Fortnite Epic Games released a skin inspired by Ninja as part of their Icon Series, acknowledging his impact on Fortnite’s popularity.
Transition to Mixer and return to Twitch
Exclusivity with Mixer In August 2019, Ninja left Twitch for an exclusive deal with Microsoft’s Mixer. However, after Mixer shut down in 2020, he returned to Twitch with a new multiyear exclusive deal.
Simulcasting across platforms In 2022, Ninja announced that he would stream on multiple platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and others.
Mainstream Presence and Media Ventures
Television and music Blevins was the first eSports player to be featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. He has also appeared on shows such as Family Feud, The Masked Singer, and Celebrity Family Feud. He collaborated with Astralwerks to release Ninjawerks: Volume 1, an album featuring electronic music.
Movie roles Ninja made cameo appearances in several films, including Free Guy* (2021) and provided a voice role in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022).
Philanthropy and charity work
Fundraising streams Ninja has raised significant amounts of money for charity, including over $110,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He also supported events benefiting cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the University of Michigan.
Controversies and public scrutiny
Doxing incident In 2016, he was temporarily suspended from Twitch for releasing the address of a donor with a racist username.Other incidents Blevins faced criticism over his use of language, reporting stream sniping incidents, and his stance on not streaming with female gamers. Each incident sparked discussion and various public responses.
Publishing and education contributions
Books and courses Blevins published Get Good My Ultimate Guide to Gaming with Random House in 2019. In 2022, he partnered with MasterClass to create a 30-day course for aspiring streamers.
Awards and recognitions
Streamy and Game Awards Ninja has won numerous awards, including the Streamy Awards for Gaming and Live Streamers. He was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 for Games and nominated for several Kids’ Choice Awards. His success symbolizes the bridge between gaming and mainstream entertainment.
Through his streaming career and public appearances, Ninja has played a key role in popularizing gaming and esports, bridging the gap between traditional and new media platforms.