Pro gaming superstar and streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is coming back to Twitch, under a multiyear deal to livestream exclusively on the Amazon-owned platform.
Ninja will launch his first livestream in more than a year on his Twitch channel — which has 15 million followers — on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 12 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET. In August 2019, the popular game livestreamer announced an exclusive move to Microsoft’s Mixer, which was shut down this summer.
Ninja will be streaming full-time on Twitch, where he began his career nearly 10 years. He was the first professional streamer to get an exclusive skin in Epic Games’ “Fortnite” and was the first esports personality to appear on the cover of (now defunct) ESPN the Magazine.
“I am excited to get back to streaming full-time and connecting with my loyal fanbase,” Blevins said in a statement. “I really took my time to decide which platform was best, and Twitch has been very supportive throughout this process and understanding my overall career goals.”
According to Ninja, “In this next chapter, I’m going to make it a point to elevate and bring more eyes to underrepresented creators. I am looking forward to working with Twitch to demonstrate how this amazing community of gamers can make a meaningful impact.”
Ninja’s deal with Twitch was supported by his management firm, Loaded, in collaboration with legal counsel at Loeb & Loeb.
“We are thrilled Ninja is returning to Twitch,” said Michael Aragon, SVP of content at Twitch. “Tyler is an iconic force in the gaming community, and it’s been amazing to see the impact he’s made on the industry and broader culture.”
Twitch posted an animated GIF celebrating Ninja’s return, with the comment, “To new beginnings.”