Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Fortnite streaming giant and Twitch’s biggest Internet celebrity, will depart the platform for the Microsoft platform Mixer.
It began with a drum roll that Blevins tapped out himself on social media. On the evening of July 31, a one-word tweet and the clear prelude to an announcement was tweeted to his more than four million fans. “Tomorrow,” it read.
Today, Blevins posted a high-production video reminiscent of an athlete’s press conference. “I know this may come as a shock to many of you,” he began, “but as of today, I will be streaming exclusively on Mixer.” In the midst of a crowd of extras, Blevins — in various costumes — questioned himself about the change.
After the video, Blevins followed up with “a little more” in a separate clip. “I’ve been holding onto this for quite some time, and I’m super excited to finally let everyone know.” He said he was “at a loss for words” and “freaking out in the best of ways” about the change.
To the Associated Press, Blevins effused:
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities Twitch has provided me. But as I looked at the next step in my career, I wanted to be somewhere that empowered me to push the boundaries of gaming and achieve bigger goals within the industry. Mixer provides me with more ways to connect with my community.
A representative for Amazon’s Twitch platform offered Polygon a reserved response to the news, saying simply that “we’ve loved watching Ninja on Twitch over the years and are proud of all that he’s accomplished for himself and his family, and the gaming community.” They “wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”