Tyler Ninja

Previously known as Ninja Fortnite, Richard Tyler Blevins also known as Tyler Ninja or Ninja, is a notable YouTuber, streamer and professional eSports gamer, who rose to fame at a young age.

About Tyler Ninja

Introduction

Previously known as Ninja Fortnite, Richard Tyler Blevins also known as Tyler Ninja or Ninja, is a notable YouTuber, streamer and professional eSports gamer, who rose to fame at a young age. He gained fame by competing in bg gaming tournaments and streaming games online. He is considered the “best Fortnite player in the world". Currently, Ninja has amassed 18.5 million followers on Twitch, 6.6 million followers on Twitter, 12.3 million followers on Instagram, 487k followers on Threads and 23.7 million subscribers on YouTube. Across social media platforms, in totality, he has over 61 million followers.

Early life and family background

Ninja was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 5, 1991 to Chuck Blevins and Cynthia Blevins. His Welsh descent-family that follows Christianity, moved to Grayslake, Illinois, when he was an infant. He has two elder brothers -- Chris Blevins (34) and Jonathan Blevins (35), who are also known as Invictus and BeardedBlevins respectively, by their streaming names. It was because of his father’s gaming addiction that he became interested in gaming. He would spend hours of his recreation time playing games. He often recalls his father would buy newly-released games and play all night. At a very young age, his father introduced all three siblings to video games and, for Ninja, there was no looking back. 

Their family owned all the latest (at that time) gaming consoles -- Xbox, Sony PlayStation, among others. When Halo, a war game was released, Ninja was barely 10 and asked his brothers to play with him, but they refused citing he was “too young for the game.” But, after much nagging, he got his hands on the remote and virtually “destroyed” them. His gaming prowess became apparent at that point. After this incident, he made a deal with his family -- if he performed well at school and kept his job at the Noodles & Company, he could play games for as long as he wanted. He practiced and got better with time. Ninja studied and worked in the day, and played in the night and even in the wee hours of the morning. His persistence, hard-work and desire to become no. 1 got him to where he is today. Seeing him managing his daily tasks well and his potential for gaming, his family supported him and helped him turn a professional gamer.

Education

Ninja finished his schooling from Grayslake Central High School, where he started playing football. Later, he attended Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. After completing graduation, he decided to professionally play video games. He joined a gaming organization, played tournaments, live streamed his games and earned a lot of money post that.

BEFORE FAME

Before rising to fame and gaining millions of fans and followers, Ninja used to work at Noodles and Company restaurant. He worked there for about three years, while still being in school. Only after his high school his gaming career took off and he became popular.

Streaming and e-sports career

In 2009, he stepped into competitive gaming. Throughout his gaming career so far, Ninja has played for various gaming teams. His current team is Luminosity, through which he has earned a lot of money by participating in and winning multiple tournaments.

2009 - 2018

Ninja embarked on his professional gaming journey with Halo 3 in 2009, showcasing his skills under the banners of esteemed organizations such as Cloud9, Renegades, Team Liquid, and Luminosity Gaming

The year 2011 marked the beginning of Ninja' streaming career, where he captivated audiences with his gameplay in H1Z1 before venturing into the realm of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Joining Luminosity Gaming in 2017, Ninja demonstrated his versatility by excelling in different games, transitioning from a Halo player to H1Z1 and eventually conquering PUBG, triumphing in the prestigious PUBG Gamescom Invitational Squads classification in August 2017

Shortly after the PUBG Gamescom Invitational, Ninja seized the opportunity to stream the freshly released phenomenon, Fortnite Battle Royale, capturing the attention of viewers as the game surged in popularity during the late 2017 or early 2018 period

Witnessing a meteoric rise, Ninja's Twitch followers skyrocketed from 500,000 in September 2017 to over 2 million by March 2018, establishing him as the first Twitch streamer to exceed 3 million followers

March 2018 witnessed Ninja shattering records as he attracted a colossal concurrent audience of 635,000 during an individual stream, an extraordinary feat accomplished while playing Fortnite alongside notable figures such as Drake, Travis Scott, and JuJu Smith-Schuster

The remarkable collaboration between Ninja and these celebrities caught the attention of Epic Games, leading them to organize a charitable pro-am event at E3 2018 in June, wherein Ninja teamed up with electronic musician Marshmallow to claim victory

In April 2018, Ninja further cemented his influence by surpassing his viewing record during Ninja Vegas 2018, captivating approximately 667,000 live viewers

Recognizing his impact on the gaming scene, Ninja joined forces with Red Bull esports in June 2018, hosting the exclusive Fortnite event, the Red Bull Rise Till Dawn, in Chicago on July 21, 2018, enticing players to challenge their skills

As the year drew to a close in December 2018, Ninja estimated his earnings for the year to be nearly US$10 million, while Epic Games celebrated an astounding revenue of over US$3 billion, predominantly driven by the overwhelming success of Fortnite
In the same month, Ninja etched his name in the annals of gaming history as the first PC player to achieve a remarkable milestone of over 5,000 Fortnite wins

2019 - 2022

April 2019 marked another milestone for Blevins as Red Bull released a limited-edition can adorned with his image, solidifying his status as an icon within the gaming community

Blevins' ascent to stardom on Twitch harmoniously aligned with the meteoric success of Fortnite Battle Royale, contributing to his popularity surge

In February 2019, news broke that Blevins had received a substantial payment of US$1 million from Electronic Arts for promoting Apex Legends on his Twitch stream and social media accounts, presenting a formidable competitor to Fortnite

On August 1, 2019, Blevins bid farewell to Twitch and embarked on an exclusive streaming partnership with Microsoft's Mixer platform, seeking new avenues for his brand's growth outside the realm of video games

Recognizing his significance to Fortnite's success, Epic Games introduced a Ninja-inspired cosmetic outfit in January 2020, kick-starting the "Icon Series" featuring real-life personalities associated with the game

However, with the discontinuation of Mixer in July 2020, Blevins regained the freedom to stream across various platforms

On September 10, 2020, Blevins thrilled his fanbase by announcing his return to Twitch, signing an exclusive multiyear deal that marked his triumphant homecoming to the platform where his streaming career flourished

September 1, 2022, brought about a surprising change as Blevins adopted the persona of "User Not Found" across his social media profiles, accompanied by enigmatic "Time Out" graphics, symbolizing his need for a break, leaving his return uncertain

However, on September 8, 2022, Blevins exhilarated his followers with the announcement of his comeback, revealing plans to simultaneously stream on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, rekindling his connection with fans across multiple platforms

Ninja’s Career Downfall

While at his career peak at 27, Ninja suffered a major downfall after a serious health issue surfaced. The topmost streamer and gamer nearly lost his vision, but was saved by a retinal surgery. After that, he was bedridden for months but the fighter in him didn’t rest and got back on his feet as soon as he could. He came back even stronger and nailed it. His fans hail him as the big “hero of e-sports”.

Ninja’s gaming name origin

The pro gamer’s streaming name is derived from a movie in ‘Halo’. The move is about jumping over an opponent backward. It’s noteworthy that Ninja is a sucker for anime. And, it is quite visible in the way he carries his hair, with spikes and using vibrant colors to dye it.

Rise to stardom

Ninja’s journey began as a “leisure” player of video games. His earlier videos were random, impromptu, and free-flowing. He is known for his "goofy energetic personality" and "incredible impressions". These are some of the factors that contributed heavily to his online popularity. In his early gaming days, Ninja had realized this gaming path would be competitive and not easy. But, now he has become a household name. From the beginning, Ninja loved challenges and welcomed them with open arms. His constant endeavors, at last, paid off. On average, he spends 10 hours a day glued to his screen doing what he loves the most.

Net Worth 2023

Ninja’s reported net worth in 2023 is $40 million. He gets paid in millions from playing games professionally and other online activities. According to CNBC, Ninja earns more than $500,000 a month from his paid Twitch subscribers. The figure even doubles up sometimes. He also receives donations from fans; once he received a $40K donation. He also earns from his YouTube channel, advertisements and sponsorship deals.

Sponsorship deals

Ninja has collaborated with many established and renowned companies like Red Bull, Adidas, Uber Eats and NZXT.

Ninja’s Car Collection

Ninja owns some elegant and high performance cars, including Ferrari California T (red), Lexus RC F, Cadillac XT6, and more.

TRIVIA

In 2015, Ninja and his family appeared in many episodes of the famous game show “Celebrity Family Feud”

In 2016, he starred as himself in a movie called “A Gamer’s Life”

In 2018, he collaborated with the record label Astralwerks to create and album called “Ninjawerks: Vol. 1”

He was seen also in “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,“ and ESPN’s “E:60“

In 2018, he teamed up with Drake, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Scott for a Twitch stream that had more than 500,000 live viewers

He was featured in YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind, along with other Internet celebrities.

He featured in “The Masked Singer”, a reality series, where he competed as the character “Ice Cream”

IN 2019, he shared the screen with various NFL players for "The 100-Year Game" ad that aired during Super Bowl LIII 

In 2022, Ninja partnered with MasterClass to put together a 30-day curriculum in which he offered advice on ways to become a successful streamer

Achievements

At the age of 27, Ninja became the most followed streamer on Twitch and multimillionaire face of Fortnite

In 2018, Ninja became the first professional esports player to grace the cover of ‘ESPN the Magazine’

In 2018, Ninja’s channel and streams were the most-watched on Twitch, contributing to 226.85 million hours viewed

Ninja has released multiple books in collaboration with Random House publishers

Marital status and past dating life

As of 2023, Ninja is married to a fellow Twitch streamer and social media sensation Jessica Goch. The couple met in December 2010 during a Halo competition and were introduced to each other through a mutual friend. When the duo first met, Ninja was dating someone else and Jessica had just broken up. No other information is available on Ninja’s past relationships or ex-girlfriends. Ninja and Jess didn’t start dating immediately. They went out in 2013 after Ninja replied to her birthday wish in a tweet. After Jess completed college, she moved to Illinois to live with Ninja and tied the knot in August 2017. They currently live in Chicago, Illinois. The couple doesn’t have kids, but have 2 dogs.

Jessica also handled Team Ninja and its finances before stepping down as her manager in 2022. Ninja’s team includes 15 people, including a PR specialist, social media manager, YouTube editor, personal assistants, and other part-time workers.

Charitable work

In February 2018, Ninja raised over $110,000 in a fundraising charity stream, to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

In April 2018, he gave away $50K in prize money, out of which, $2500 went to the Alzheimer's Association

In April of the same year, he became a part of #Clips4Kids charity event with other streamers and raised over $340,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

At E3 2018, Ninja, along with a fellow streamer won the Fortnite Pro-Am event and donated $1M prize money to a charity

Ninja’s controversies

They say you are successful, you will have enemies. Same happened with Ninja as the Fortnite community in July 2018 started being disrespectful toward him. This led to offensive meme circulation and hate accounts began to surface online. The Internet even dubbed him a toxic person and hypocrite.

In December 2016, Ninja violated Twitch rules by "doxing" a donor, sharing their address as retribution for racist comments. Despite the severity of the offense, he received only a 48-hour suspension, leading to accusations of preferential treatment due to his large audience

In March 2018, Ninja sparked controversy when he inadvertently used a racial slur while rapping during a stream. He later apologized for any offense caused, explaining that it was a result of being "tongue-tied" and not his intention to use such language

In August 2018, Ninja stated that he avoids streaming with female gamers out of respect for his wife and to prevent rumors. This decision drew mixed reactions, with some criticizing him for potentially hindering female streamers' progress, while others supported his desire to protect his marriage. Ninja reiterated his support for gender equality while
emphasizing his commitment to his marriage and clarified that he welcomes female gamers in group settings or at events to avoid unnecessary drama

In October 2018, Ninja reported a player for having a higher ping than him, resulting in claims of unfair banning. Epic Games denied the accusations, causing a social media backlash against Ninja

In November 2018, Ninja falsely reported a Fortnite player, IcyFive, for stream sniping after being eliminated by him. His teammate instructed him to watch for an emote, which IcyFive performed. Believing this to be evidence of stream sniping, Blevins quickly reported the player and threatened further action unless he left the game immediately. However, IcyFive was unaware of the stream and denied the accusations. DrLupo, Ninja's teammate, later expressed doubt regarding the stream sniping claims and criticized his actions. Ninja eventually apologized to IcyFive on Twitter but also accused him of exaggerating the incident and playing the victim

Ninja vs Jake Paul

"I DONATED $200K TO MY FAVOUR TWITCH STREAMER (ninja)", a video by Jake Paul, a YouTuber and boxing star, was uploaded on March 17, 2018, in which Jake Paul exclusively supported his friend. Paul claimed that Ninja only appeared in the thumbnail and title but never appeared in the video. Many supporters of Ninja who had sent him money after the video's release, including his friend KingRichard, questioned him, asking if Paul had also given him money. Ninja frequently claimed that Paul exploited him to gain fame. After the entire scandal surfaced, on April 29, 2018, Jake Paul created a video titled "My Response To Ninja... in which he discusses the situation and offers Ninja his sincere apologies. Paul then altered the title from "Ninja" to "Insane Reaction" and displayed the recipients of his donations.

Ninja vs Pokimane 

In 2022, Ninja’s feud with Twitch sensation Imane "Pokimane" went viral on the Internet. It all happened when Pokimane called out Ninja for his actions during the JiDion drama and him attempting to help JiDion "evade a ban for harassing her". Not only this but on January 18, 2022, Pokimane revealed a message she had received from Ninja's wife, Jessica, threatening to file a defamation lawsuit against Twitch queen. However, eventually JiDion apologized to Pokimane for his actions that brought this feud to end.

Ninja vs Drake

When Drake attracted over 600,000 viewers to see him play Fortnite with well-known streamer Ninja in 2018, the rapper inadvertently shattered Twitch. But what started as a star-struck video game bromance between two guys came to an end, when Drake unfollowed Ninja on Instagram. Ninja also revealed that Drake never gave him the $5,000 he promised in exchange for a Fortnite fight, venting his disappointment about the issue on Twitter.

Ninja vs Daniel Keemstar

In February 2023, Keemstar called out Ninja over the G FUEL drama. It all began when Keemstar accused Ninja of "stealing" his personalized flavor of energy supplement G FUEL, adding that they were "no longer friends." Keemstars’s tweet at the time read, “Want a #DramaAlert regarding the GFUEL drama today? Not about Ninja copying my flavor cus the greedy rat knows peps want my flavor back. It's other stuff. But F that Blue haired RAT, sending his wife to talk to me instead of himself, been friends since 2017 No longer friends.’’

Ninja’s lesser known facts

Ninja’s former gaming teams are Cloud9, Renegades, Evil Geniuses. He is still with Luminosity Gaming

His former alias is NinjasHyper

Other than gaming, Ninja loves to watch football, hockey, and basketball

His elder brothers are also streamers who go by the names BeardedBlevins and Invictus

Ninja’s favorite actor and actress are Tom Hanks and Alyson Hannigan

He and Jessica have two dogs -- Chance and Navi