Gaming
Epic Games’ Fortnite Battle Royale is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, it’s actually getting bigger thanks to the fact it’s now available on basically every platform you can imagine, including the Nintendo Switch. If you need someone to watch to get some ideas on how to up your game, look no further than Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, the most-subscribed Twitch streamer on the planet for Fortnite.
He’s a master builder, plays at an extremely high level, and is one of the most aggressive, attacking players in the game right now. We’ve had a look through his highlight reel to find the moments that simply blew our minds, and we’re here to share them with you: they’ll knock your socks off, too.
1. The time he cleared Tilted Towers, solo
For most of us, Tilted Towers is a dangerous place to be. You simply don’t land there, and if you end up around the area, you’ll usually try and go around it. If you do somehow find yourself right in the middle of TT, it’s best to loot what you need and get out of there, fast. Not Ninja, though.
In fact, saying he “cleared Tilted Towers, solo” is actually doing him a disservice, because he pretty much takes out the whole map in this video. Take note of his aim with the hunting rifle at 11:42 onwards, where he almost shocks himself with what amounts to a noscope from 200m plus. You wouldn't even be mad to be on the receiving end of that one.
2. The time he went on a rampage with the jetpack
Most people would be happy with a long-shot kill, but not Ninja. He’s always trying to push himself and improve, so when jetpacks finally came to Fortnite Battle Royale, he thought he’d just fly around eliminating fools. And he did exactly that.
3. The time he built so fast we couldn’t keep up
Building is a big part of why Ninja’s gameplay blows us away. People copy his key-bindings because of his building speed, but in this team match, Ninja and DrLupo had a building battle against Myth and Hamlinz, and the results were suitably mind blowing. It starts getting crazy around the 11-minute mark as Ninja just starts going up and up and up and… you get the picture.
4. The time he played with Drake. Yes, Drake
This moment has become legend at this point. We all know that celebrities play games, but Ninja joining up together with one of the biggest rappers in the world is no mean feat. The way this collaboration happened was quite natural, actually, with Drake following Ninja on Instagram, and the two messaging about playing Fortnite – and when it came to the action, Drake did pretty well to stick with Ninja until the very end, finishing the match down-but-not-out. Not too shabby.
5. The time he played with his fans, and made them do their homework
If you’re a parent, you might be concerned about who your kids are watching on Twitch and YouTube, but not only has Ninja toned down his language for a friendlier audience, he even plays with them (and wins), giving them sage advice to “stay in school”. At the end of this video, not only does Blevins help the young kid get the win, but he tells them to go do their homework afterwards. Brilliant.
6. The time he showed us how to own as Thanos
Timed events aren’t new to Fortnite, but it was a huge get for Epic Games to have a tie-in with Avengers: Infinity War. In this mode, you could play as Thanos and take on the rest of the players with the overpowered Infinity Gauntlet. Of course, you can probably imagine how it went for Ninja when he pulled on the sparkly glove. Jump to the seven-minute mark in this video to see the Mad Titan in action – and just like Thanos, he pretty much gets to sit on the hill surveying his handiwork...
7. The time he reminded us he’s still the Fortnite king
Having been trying out Realm Royale a little bit, fans in the comments of his videos and Twitch were worried he’d quit Fortnite (despite him clearly saying he hadn’t), so right before E3 he reminded everyone he’s an absolute beast. This video shows him getting a 25-kill solo win. Just sit and work that out for a second: Fortnite is 100 players dropping onto the map. If you’re playing and get a win, what, you’d maybe get 7-10 kills? Not Ninja. An entire quarter of the game’s players will do. He’s going nowhere, and is the champ for a reason.
Bonus: The time he won the pro-am at E3 2018
We couldn’t finish this list without mentioning the fact Ninja just won the first pro-am at E3, right? Home of the Los Angeles FC soccer team, the Banc of California Stadium played host to the tournament where Blevins beat out the likes of Myth, Ali-A and many more, showing he won’t buckle under pressure and that he’s the undisputed best at the game right now. Well played, Ninja.