Ninja: American Streamer, YouTuber & Professional Gamer
Verified Macro Creator — Gaming & EsportsLive Streamer, YouTuber, Professional Gamer
A Halo pro from the Chicago suburbs picked up a new battle-royale game in late 2017, then played it on stream with Drake — breaking a Twitch viewership record and becoming the platform's first 3-million-follower streamer within months.
About Ninja: American Streamer, YouTuber & Professional Gamer
Tyler Blevins was born in Taylor, Michigan and moved as an infant with his family to the Chicago suburbs, where he attended Grayslake Central High School. He began competing professionally in Halo 3 in 2009 and started streaming in 2011, moving through H1Z1 and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds before picking up the newly released Fortnite Battle Royale in late 2017. His Twitch following grew from 500,000 to over 2 million between September 2017 and March 2018; that March, he became the first Twitch streamer to pass 3 million followers, then set a then-record concurrent audience of 635,000 by playing Fortnite on stream with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He partnered with Red Bull Esports in 2018, later getting his own limited-edition Red Bull can, and won Epic Games' Fortnite Pro-Am at E3 2018 paired with Marshmello. In January 2020 he became the first real-world personality honored with a Fortnite in-game 'Icon Series' skin. In March 2024 he disclosed a skin cancer diagnosis and was declared cancer-free the following month. He continues to stream and post gaming content, co-hosts the podcast AFK with Ninja, and co-founded the beverage brand Nutcase.
Career Journey
From Halo esports to Fortnite
Blevins competed professionally in Halo 3 starting in 2009, became a streamer in 2011, and moved through H1Z1 and PUBG before picking up Fortnite Battle Royale in late 2017, where his audience began rapidly growing.
The Drake stream and Red Bull
In March 2018 Blevins became the first Twitch streamer to reach 3 million followers and set a record 635,000 concurrent viewers playing Fortnite with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He partnered with Red Bull Esports the same year.
E3 Pro-Am win and a Fortnite skin
Paired with Marshmello, Blevins won Epic Games' Fortnite Pro-Am at E3 2018. In January 2020 he became the first real-world personality to get a Fortnite in-game 'Icon Series' skin.
A cancer diagnosis, recovery, and new ventures
Blevins disclosed a skin cancer diagnosis in March 2024 and announced he was cancer-free the following month. He has since launched the podcast AFK with Ninja and co-founded the beverage brand Nutcase.
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FAQs
Who is Ninja?
Richard Tyler Blevins (born June 5, 1991), known as Ninja, is an American streamer and YouTuber from the Chicago area, best known for becoming the first Twitch streamer to reach 3 million followers during Fortnite's 2018 breakout year.
Is Ninja cancer-free?
Yes. He disclosed a skin cancer (melanoma) diagnosis in March 2024 and announced in April 2024 that he was officially cancer-free.
How can brands work with Ninja?
Through his publicly listed business contact, business@teamninja.com, shown on his verified X account.
Latest News
Blevins now co-hosts the podcast AFK with Ninja and co-founded the beverage brand Nutcase, alongside continuing to stream Fortnite, Valorant and Call of Duty: Warzone.
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