Ninja surprised everyone with cancer diagnosis.

Long-time Twitch star Ninja has revealed that he has melanoma, after removing a mole from his foot, but is hopeful they caught it early.

Ninja, real name Tyler Blevins, started streaming all the way back in 2011, when he joined Twitch in its very earliest days. After a career as a professional Halo player he became the platform’s most followed profile , hitting the big time with his streams of Fortnite from 2017 onwards.

He later moved to the now-defunkt Mixer , in a deal reportedly worth tens of millions, then pivoted to Kick last year, but eventually moved back to Twitch – where he’s still one of the go-to streamers playing Fortnite .

He might put his streaming ventures on hold for now though, as he revealed he’s been diagnosed with melanoma after removing a mole from his foot.

Ninja, who is only 32 years old, announced the news on Twitter, where he explained exactly what happened:

‘Alright, I’m still in a bit of shock but want to keep you all updated. A few weeks ago I went in to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess [his wife] proactively scheduled for me.

‘There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful. It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages,’ he said.

Ninja further explained that they removed another ‘dark spot’ near the mole and that he’s waiting for the results to see if the melanoma has spread, before ending with a public service announcement:

‘But please take this as a PSA to get skin check-ups.’

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The streaming community has flowered Ninja with support messages on social media, offering best wishes and hoping for a speedy recovery.

Ninja hasn’t streamed since the announcement, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he takes a break following the diagnosis. You can read his full statement below.




Alright I’m still in a bit of shock but want to keep you all updated. A few weeks ago I went in to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me. There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful. It… — Ninja (@Ninja) March 26, 2024




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