Tyler "Ninja" Blevins has become one of the most iconic names in streaming. Many argue that the popularity of streaming is in part thanks to Ninja, and his meteoric rise alongside Fortnite. Being in the limelight, however, can bring about detractors, and many believe that Ninja is much too toxic.
Even before the streamer became insanely popular, Ninja was often seen yelling and cursing out opposing players or game features. There are plenty of memes floating around of him freaking out about something, as Ninja complains about Fortnite regularly. But the streamer has two rebuttals to any sort of accusations that he is overly toxic.
In a recent stream, the Mixer partner answered some of his commenters about any sort of short temper or toxicity. His first argument is that many of the times that fans think he is being toxic are when Ninja is simply having fun with his friends. He says that his "entire group of friends make fun of one another." They like to insult, poke fun, and joke around. He doesn't pull any punches either, as Ninja's recent slight at Dr. DisRespect and Twitch included sideswiping streamer Alinity in the midst of her controversy. Ninja claims that this is a sign of how close his friends are, that they can have fun with each other and not get offended.
Ninja's second point is that much of the gaming world yells at their TV screen upon a death, they all talk about broken aspects of a game that need to be fixed. "Everyone b****** and complains when they play video games. It's 90% of the fun, sometimes... anyone who thinks I'm toxic, you've been brainwashed dude."
Perhaps the point about being brainwashed isn't a kind one, as there are assuredly many viewers who have come up to their own conclusions. That being said, some of what Ninja is saying seems valid. While 90% is an odd number that Ninja pulled out of his headband, the online multiplayer community is known for freaking out over trivial things and cursing at the screen. The difference may be that the streamer is in the public eye. Additionally, Ninja's stance on taking winning ultra seriously is one that rubs some the wrong way.
Some would hope that as a famous streamer, there is a sense of accountability to perhaps lead players into a better state of mind. Many argue that Ninja's stance of losing adds to the toxicity of gaming, and that if he were to grow and mature in the area, it would influence others. Instead, Tyler seems content being himself, which he is admitting is someone who complains at video games.
Recently Ninja talked about how much he misses the old Fortnite map, and with it, he did a good job of being relatively constructive with his criticism. Many would like to see Ninja lean more towards that type of feedback, as opposed to screaming at his monitor. But it doesn't sound like he is willing to change any time soon.
Source: Dexerto