Tyler Blevins, also known as “Ninja,” has had a significant career in the gaming and esports industry. Born Richard Tyler Blevins on June 5, 1991, he was introduced to video games at a young age by his father. Blevins started playing video games professionally in 2009, starting with “Halo 3” and playing for several professional gaming organizations, including Team Liquid, Cloud9, and Renegades.
Blevins gained significant popularity playing “Fortnite Battle Royale” on Twitch, leading to a substantial increase in followers. His popularity skyrocketed when he played “Fortnite” with celebrities like Drake, Travis Scott, and Juju Smith-Schuster in March 2018, attracting a record-breaking 635,000 live viewers. This led to Epic Games pairing gamers with celebrities at E3 2018, and Ninja and his partner, electronic musician Marshmello, won the “Fortnite Battle Royale” event. Blevins broke his previous Twitch record in April 2018, when 667,000 viewers watched him during Ninja Vegas 2018.
In June 2018, Ninja signed a partnership with Red Bull Esports, which led to the Red Bull Rise Till Dawn “Fortnite” event in Chicago. He made nearly $10 million in 2018. In 2019, Electronic Arts paid Blevins $1 million to promote the battle royale game “Apex Legends.” He left Twitch in August 2019 to stream exclusively on Mixer. When Mixer shut down in July 2020, he began streaming on his YouTube channel, reportedly earning more than $500,000 per month from his “Fortnite” streams.
Beyond gaming, Blevins has engaged in various other media ventures. In 2015, he and his family appeared on “Family Feud,” and they competed on “Celebrity Family Feud” in 2019. In 2018, he released an album “Ninjawerks: Vol. 1” and appeared in the NFL’s “The 100-Year Game” ad that aired during the Super Bowl. In 2019, he released a book titled “Get Good: My Ultimate Guide to Gaming” and took part in Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” performing songs in an ice cream cone costume.
In a significant move in August 2019, Blevins signed a deal with Microsoft to move all of his streaming exclusively to Mixer. However, Microsoft announced in June 2020 that it was closing Mixer and merging the platform with Facebook Gaming. Blevins and another esports superstar, Shroud, were offered double their previous earnings to move to Facebook, but both refused. As a result, Microsoft was forced to trigger a buyout clause, and Blevins was reportedly paid $30 million to walk away. Both Blevins and Shroud returned to Twitch in August 2020.
As of 2023, Blevins joined GameSquare as Chief Innovation Officer to help revolutionize the esports gaming world. GameSquare Esports Inc. is set to merge with Engine Gaming and Media in an effort to become one of the largest and most influential esports and media companies in the industry.
All of these endeavors have led to Blevins amassing a net worth of $40 million.
Ninja Bio
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins (born June 5, 1991) is an American professional gamer, Twitch streamer, and internet personality. A pioneer in the world of online gaming and streaming, Blevins has been a significant force in bringing esports into mainstream culture.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Blevins began his career playing Halo 3 professionally in 2009. He became a prominent figure in the gaming community, known for his skill and competitive spirit. Throughout his early career, Blevins competed in various esports tournaments, including those for games like Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), and Valorant.
However, it was Fortnite that propelled Blevins into international stardom. His streaming sessions of the game on Twitch, where he showcased his exceptional skill and entertaining personality, rapidly gained popularity. At his peak, he accumulated over 16 million followers on Twitch and became the platform’s most-followed active channel.
In August 2019, Blevins made a high-profile move to the streaming service Mixer, a decision that shocked the gaming community and underscored his influence in the industry. When Mixer shut down in 2020, he had brief stints on YouTube and then returned to Twitch in 2020.
Blevins has played with numerous celebrities, including musicians Drake and Travis Scott, further cementing his crossover appeal and the cultural relevance of gaming. Beyond gaming, Blevins has written a book titled “Get Good: My Ultimate Guide to Gaming,” launched a graphic novel series, and even appeared on the reality TV show “The Masked Singer.”
His career has not only changed his life but has also made a significant impact on the perception of professional gaming and streaming as legitimate and lucrative career paths. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins continues to be a prominent and influential figure in the world of online gaming.
