A 28-year-old gamer’s decision to switch streaming platforms has propelled Microsoft’s Mixer to the top of the app download charts within hours of his announcement.
In a spoof press conference posted on Twitter, Fortnite superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins ended a hugely profitable partnership with Twitch, the live-streaming giant owned by Amazon which has until now dominated the fledgling sector.
“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.”
Within a few hours of the announcement, Mixer had surged to the top of the download charts, temporarily toppling perennial favourites such as YouTube and Instagram.
Blevins has earned millions broadcasting himself playing Fortnite and other video games on Twitch and YouTube.
He has over 14 million followers on Twitch, and has streamed himself playing alongside celebrities such as rappers Drake and Travis Scott, has sponsorship deals with Red Bull and Uber Eats, and often appears on Instagram and Twitter alongside soccer players Neymar Jr and Harry Kane.
His rise to stardom is echoed by a number of other young gamers as esports becomes increasingly popular in the west, following the lead of countries such as South Korea.
Last month a British teenager won almost £1 million at gaming tournament, and said he is happy to have shown his mother that he was not just wasting time in his bedroom.
Jaden Ashman, from Essex, split 2.25 million US dollars (£1.8 million) with his Dutch partner Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf after the pair came second in the duos sections at the first Fortnite World Cup.
The 15-year-old competed under the name Wolfiez at the three-day event held inside the Arthur Ashe tennis stadium in New York, which also hosts the final of the US Open.
Blevins will host his first Mixer live stream on Friday from Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival in Chicago.
The 28-year-old has publicly invited Giersdorf to join him, the Press Association reports.
Blevins said he will not actively recruit other gamers to leave their current platform, but if more streamers follow him to Mixer, it could become a legitimate competitor in a market dominated by Twitch.
“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.”
Twitch said: “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 endeavours.”
Mixer launched in 2016 but has not nearly matched Twitch’s popularity — Microsoft reported 10 million monthly users last year, compared to well over 100 million for Twitch, which launched in 2011.
Mixer has been praised for its interface and its management of toxic players, though, and Blevins said he expects to connect to fans with “more interactivity and variety than before” because of Mixer’s technological abilities — for example, streamers can share their controller with fans, and the chat function has a greater array of features.
Blevins also anticipates the deal with Mixer will free him up to do more live events and other non-streaming content.