Entertainment
- Tyler "Ninja" Blevins is the most popular professional gamer in the world, with tens of millions of followers.
- Ninja has reportedly made as much as $500,000 per month streaming games for a live audience, and gaming companies pay him to help promote new releases too.
- In his new book called "Get Good: My Ultimate Guide to Gaming," Ninja offers tips on how to compete and turn gaming into a career.
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The internet and streaming video have created a world where gamers can reach a larger audience than the most popular authors, but the world's most recognizable professional gamer, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, has taken the time to write a book and share his tips for improving as a player.
"Get Good: My Ultimate Guide to Gaming" is designed as a reference for all things gaming. Ninja offers advice on how to build your own gaming station, how to improve in your favorite games, and how to turn gaming from a hobby into a career.
Though he became a global phenomenon with the release of "Fortnite" in 2017, Ninja has been competing in video games for more than a decade. His early beginnings as a "Halo 3" player with the now-defunct Major League Gaming grew into a multi-million-dollar career and earned him a place on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of 2018. He's appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," shared play sessions with Drake, and even appeared in a Super Bowl halftime commercial.
Read more: This 28-year-old makes $500,000 every month playing 'Fortnite' - here's how he does it
While his rise to stardom seemed sudden, it's also the product of hard work, dedication, and a well-managed brand. Blevins streams for a live audience almost every day of the week for eight hours or more, and at his peak his schedule would include 12-hour sessions. That doesn't include time spent managing equipment or editing videos for his YouTube channel.
The work does come with a pay-off though - Ninja has reportedly earned more than $500,000 per month from streaming and in-person appearances, and gaming companies pay him to help promote their new releases. In March, Electronic Arts reportedly paid Ninja $1 million to stream "Apex Legends" on the day it was released.
As someone with a few years of experience in esports, I read "Get Good" to see what sort of insights Ninja could offer to people who want to start their own career in professional gaming, or just improve at their favorite games.
These were my six biggest takeaways from Ninja's book:
