Fortnite star Ninja faces JuJu Smith-Schuster on Family Feud

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins appeared on the August 25 episode of Celebrity Family Feud. He shared the stage with his friend and fellow gamer JuJu Smith-Schuster, who also happens to be a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The episode, which was recorded in February, aired on ABC. It can be found in its entirety on streaming platforms ABC Go and Hulu.

Comprising “Team Ninja“ were Ninja, his wife Jessica Blevins, younger brother Christopher, older brother Jonathan, and sister-in-law Jodi. On the other side was “Team JuJu,” which had the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl star alongside his mother Sammy, aunt Jane, aunt Bernadine, and uncle John.

While Family Feud contestants usually compete for cash prizes, Celebrity Family Feud gives the money to a charity of the participants’ choosing. 

Team JuJu went with Meals on Wheels, a program that delivers affordable meals daily to senior citizens and disabled people who can’t leave their homes. Ninja and family were playing for Stack Up, an organization that aims to support military veterans who develop mental health issues, with the primary message being that video games can help.

Hosted by legendary comedian, radio, and TV personality Steve Harvey, Family Feud has grown into a highly popular game show that regularly teeters the line of family-appropriate quips. “I have herpes” came out of Ninja’s mouth in response to a game question, for instance, though there’s usually nothing too graphic being aired on the show.

Ninja translates Fortnite success to mainstream stardom

This would be Ninja’s second time appearing on Family Feud, a game show where two teams compete to match common questions with their most popular answers. He made his debut on the syndicated Family Feud show as part of “Team Blevins“ back in 2015 to contend for a $20,000 cash prize, which he won.

In it, host Steve Harvey seemed puzzled when Ninja told him he played video games for a living. He still thinks Ninja plays too many video games, but one can’t argue with the millions of dollars and legions of fans that have come along with Ninja’s success.

This isn’t a random pairing, either. Opponent Smith-Schuster is one of several celebrities that helped Ninja cross over into the mainstream. He was part of an epic Ninja Fortnite stream that also featured rappers Drake and Travis Scott, with the four chumming it up as the most unlikely ragtag party the gaming world had ever seen.

Ninja’s full-circle journey is a testament to the hard work he has put into growing both his skills and his brand, which now makes him the gaming face of Red Bull and is responsible for helping esports and gaming earn a bigger spotlight.