Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins’s Esports Career and Achievements

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is a professional gamer and one of the world’s most recognized livestreamers. Since launching his YouTube channel in 2011, he’s captivated millions of fans with his high-energy performance style and cunning set of gaming skills. Ninja is one of the longest continuous streamers around and has held titles for most paid Twitch subscriptions and fastest-growing YouTube channel.

As one of the most famous streamers of video games, Tyler Blevins has blazed new trails in the world of esports. Here is a timeline of his career:

• 2009: Ninja began his professional gaming career in 2009 by competing in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach tournaments. He went on to play for various well-known gaming organizations, including Renegades, Cloud9, and Team Liquid.
• 2011: Ninja launched his YouTube channel in 2011. He won over countless fans with his energetic streaming of popular battle royale games like Halo, H1Z1, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
• 2017: In 2017, Blevins began streaming the newly released Fortnite Battle Royale. His following expanded as the free-to-play game grew in popularity, and in 2018, he became the first Twitch streamer to reach three million followers.
• March 2018: In March 2018, Ninja broke the record for having the most ever viewers in a single Twitch stream. Superstar hip-hop artist Drake joined him for several rounds of Fortnite. The live feed attracted 628,000 concurrent viewers. Ninja topped that figure the following month during a Fortnite tournament, during which an astonishing 667,000 viewers tuned in for the livestream.
• June 2018: Ninja signed a partnership deal with Redbull in 2018. He announced the deal ahead of the Red Bull Dusk Till Dawn Fortnight tournament, making him the fifth esports athlete to partner with the energy drink company.
• August 2018: Ninja left Twitch for Microsoft’s streaming platform, Mixer. His Twitch channel had approximately 14 million subscribers at the time of his departure. Microsoft closed Mixer only one year later, at which time Ninja returned to Twitch, signing a multi-year exclusive deal with the platform.
• 2021: Ninja briefly appeared in the 2021 Hollywood film Free Guy starring Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds. His cameo helped to expand his brand, further cementing his position in popular culture.

Hallmarks of Ninja’s success include a willingness to evolve with the ever-changing digital landscape and generating high-quality content while projecting his most authentic self. Some of his achievements include:

• YouTube Diamond Play Button award: Content creators who surpass 10 million subscribers receive this YouTube award. Ninja earned his in May 2018.
• ESPN The Magazine: In September 2018, Ninja graced the cover of ESPN The Magazine, making him the first professional esports player to appear on the magazine’s cover.
• 100 Most Influential People: Time named Ninja one of the most influential people in the world in 2018. He has helped paved the way for esports to become part of mainstream pop culture.
• Three-book deal: In 2019, Ninja signed a three-book deal with Penguin Random House. Ninja: Get Good: My Ultimate Guide to Gaming and Ninja Notebook are how-to guides featuring tips for becoming a better gamer. The third book in the deal is a graphic novel, titled Ninja: The Most Dangerous Game, which is set to be the first in a series for young adult readers.

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