The growth of streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming, alongside the success of names like Pokimane, xQc, Aztecross,Fuslie, and others, has given aspiring content creators a new avenue to make a living. However, the space is also a crowded one where breaking out can be tough, and it can be easy to quit after months with little to no viewers despite someone trying to get an audience on games likeFortniteorCall of Duty: Warzone. Tyler Blevins, better known asNinja, suggests this may not be the best route to go for prospective streamers, though, and instead says it may be better to start with smaller titles and grow from there.WhileNinjabegan his esports career in 2009 onHalo 3, his streaming career started in 2011 while he was a member of team Invictus and competing regularly on theHalo: Reachprofessional circuit. He would maintain a steady viewership over the next few years, riding the popularity of games likeH1Z1andPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. However, Ninja’s popularity exploded in late 2017 with the rise ofFortnite: Battle Royale, becoming the biggest streamer on Twitch and famously playing with musicians Drake and Travis Scott, along with then-Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster.RELATED:Ninja Wants Epic Games to Remove the Drum Shotgun from FortniteNinja recently spoke with tech outlet CNET and was asked what steps prospective streamers should take when first starting out. Instead of trying to break out in massively popular titles, likeFortniteorApex Legends, he suggested smaller games with a “more tight-knit community” is better to start building “a brand from scratch.” He added that by going this route, relatively newer streamers are less likely to get buried in the game’s directory page and more easily discoverable.
To further reinforce his point, Ninja uses his own early days streaming as proof. He said at the time he started streaming, there were roughly 30 to 40Haloplayers regularly live at any given time, making it easier for viewers to find his stream.
It’s not to say newer streamers can’t experience immediate growth or success on games likeCall of Duty: Warzone, but it will be an uphill battle from the start for viewership. One can scroll through a popular game’s directory page to see the dozens, if not, hundreds of streamers who are very good at popular games, but have little to no viewership. At the end of the day, though, it is up to the prospective streamer whether they will follow Ninja’s advice or not.
