Ninja is done playing Fortnite competitively: “I don’t want to get sucked back in”

Despite soaring to new heights in gaming culture and breaking viewership records on the back of his success in Fortnite, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins has no intention of a competitive return anytime soon.

As one of the most popular internet celebs of the past decade, it’s safe to say Ninja has done alright for himself. He boasts the most-followed account on Twitch, has his own sneaker deal with Adidas, and brings home a good chunk of change every month, regardless of what he may be streaming.

During his extraordinary rise to the top, however, you would have been hard-pressed to find him playing anything other than Fortnite. Day in, day out the blue-haired sensation had tens of thousands tuning in to watch him excel at the most popular battle royale on the market.

He wasn’t just a funny personality either; Ninja was genuinely good at Fortnite, often holding his own against the world’s best at huge events.

While his competitive edge saw viewership skyrocket, he’s taken a much more casual approach of late. In fact, he’s pulling the plug altogether: Ninja has made it clear he has no intention of competing in Fortnite again anytime soon.

“Will you ever return to Fortnite comp?” he was asked during a mellow Final Fantasy XIV broadcast. After a moment to think it through, Ninja outlined how he “more than likely [won’t] return… until it makes sense.”

“Honestly, I don’t want to get sucked back into the competitive sh**,” he added. As an esports veteran, Ninja knows all too well the trials and tribulations of being a pro player. Having competed in the Halo circuit for the better part of a decade, he knows the commitment needed to reach the top.

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Evidently, he’s not ready to jump back in and sacrifice the hours grinding away at competitive Fortnite once again. At least, not for the time being.

Ninja’s last venture in the competitive Fortnite space came during the 2019 Winter Royale. Now a year and a half removed from that competition, it marks his biggest gap in activity since the game was originally released.

Recently, Ninja has still been playing various titles and proving his skills online. He reached Radiant in Valorant and later grew addicted to the punishing League of Legends grind as well.

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That being said, he didn’t totally rule out a Fortnite return. Who knows, perhaps a major event could bring back the competitive version of Ninja.