Gaming megastar Ninja leaves Twitch for Microsoft’s Mixer

Fortnite superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is leaving Twitch and taking his video game live streams to Microsoft’s Mixer platform, a stunning switch that could have wide-ranging consequences for the rapidly growing industry.

Blevins announced his move Thursday, ending a hugely profitable partnership with Twitch, a live streaming giant owned by Amazon.

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 the platform has hosted many of his pioneering esports moments, including a Fortnite event in March 2018 featuring rappers Drake and Travis Scott and football player JuJu Smith-Schuster that propelled the game into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.

Blevins will host his first Mixer live stream Friday from Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival in Chicago.