Ninja joins shroud in returning to Twitch after Mixer closure

Steven Rondina Published 10/09/2020

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ time as a streaming free agent has come to an end.

The popular Fortnite player announced that he is officially set to return to Twitch. This comes after an extended stretch that saw him without a permanent home after Mixer’s closure.

No details on the deal were revealed. Ninja’s slow return to Twitch likely stems from his pursuit of a new and lucrative deal similar to the one he enjoyed with Mixer. Judging from this outcome, rival platforms YouTube and Facebook may not have been willing to swing the kind of cash Ninja was interested in. It’s also possible that Ninja was simply more comfortable returning to his former stomping grounds at Twitch.

Whether this means the status quo of 2018 has returned or if Ninja was feeling sentimental for the olden days is unclear, but this is still the latest in a line of streamers returning to Twitch.

Ninja, shroud returning is big win for Twitch

Following the Fortnite World Cup, Ninja made the shock announcement that he was moving on from Twitch in order to stream on Mixer. Mixer was designed to be a competitor to Twitch, which Mixer owner Microsoft looked to establish through signing massive deals with popular streamers. Alongside Ninja, Mixer also signed Michael “shroud” Grzesiek in a big coup.

The presence of Ninja and shroud prompted up-and-coming streamers to test things out on Mixer, which resulted in an influx of new content creators. But viewership barely budged with Ninja and shroud’s combined addition. Twitch’s market share continued to grow despite the losses of Ninja and shroud, which eventually led Mixer to throw up its hands and shutter completely.

Though Facebook and YouTube both followed Mixer’s cue in signing high-profile streamers, they have also seemingly followed them in ending their aggressive moves to rival Twitch. Ninja and shroud have both found their way back to Twitch, suggesting that Twitch is once again the undisputed best place for streamers with an established audience.

After Mixer’s closure, Ninja bounced around for a time and ran one-off streams on both YouTube and Twitch to great success. The real question now is how Ninja’s Twitch viewership compares with his following from before the switch to Mixer.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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