Popular streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is leaving Twitch and taking his brand over to Mixer in a major, industry-impactful, move that demonstrates just how much Twitch is pushing streamers away despite their immense financial success.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities Twitch has provided me,” Blevins told The Associated Press, “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.”
This will likely bring a mass amount of streamers off of Twitch and onto Mixer, thanks to Blevins’ move.
“I want my friends to make their own decisions for what platforms they choose to play on,” Blevins said. “With that being said, I will welcome anyone with open arms who wants to join me.”
A little more! pic.twitter.com/SMQEygjNiE
— Ninja (@Ninja) August 1, 2019
Twitch issued the following, via The Verge: ” 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. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. “
Mixer added the following: ” We’re thrilled to welcome Ninja and his community to Mixer. Mixer is a place that was formed around being positive and welcoming from day one, and we look forward to the energy Ninja and his community will bring. “
It’s a big move for Ninja, and a wake up call for Twitch, which has consistently come under fire for a number of issues, mainly centered on how inconsistent they punish streamers who violate their TOS agreement, handing out bans for certain streamers and not doing so for others for a similar violation.
While Twitch remains king, Mixer, a community that is growing, and more centered on gaming-specific content, just hauled in the biggest streamer in the industry, and it will cause a massive ripple effect.
