Over time, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ name has become synonymous with Fortnite. When the Epic Games-developed Battle Royale game captured the world’s attention, the former professional Halo player exploded in popularity. Ninja’s career highlights include attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers during the game’s peak, playing Fortnite with rapper Drake, and joining the Icon Series. Ninja even had a brief career as a competitive player before moving on to pursue other interests.
Today, the Twitch superstar teased a return to competitive gaming, where he’d face off against Ali “SypherPK” Hassan, a friend and frequent collaborator. Ninja and SypherPK would compete in tournaments “for fun,” but fans of the two would enjoy the experience.
Following a weekend of FNCS viewing parties, Ninja took to Twitter to ask, “Should me and @sypherpk play Fortnite competitively for fun?” ” He and SypherPK spent a few days at the FNCS Chapter 3 Season 1 Qualifier, watching the world’s best players compete. Ninja’s decision to return to competitive Fortnite is unknown, but it’s likely that witnessing high-level Fortnite played a role.
“Sheeeesh,” SypherPK responded an hour later, followed by a pair of curious eyes. The competitive Twitter account for Fortnite joined in the fun. This appears to confirm that the content creators’ team will compete in the upcoming Duos Cash Cups, as well as the FNCS competition next season.
We’ve seen the two compete in a few tournaments, but they haven’t had much luck. Regardless, if this tease comes to fruition, Ninja and SypherPK will likely attract thousands of viewers–a win for both.
Ninja has a long list of accomplishments, many of which are directly related to his Fortnite success. For a time, many people referred to the now 30-year-old Twitch streamer as the best Fortnite player. In 2017 and 2018, he would routinely destroy lobbies and classic Friday Fortnite tournaments before the competitive landscape changed.
The Fortnite legend and former duo partner Malachi “Reverse2k” Greiner came close to qualifying for the Fortnite World Cup, but fell short by a few points. The two players continued to compete together in Chapter 2 Season 1 for the Fortnite Champion Series, where they were joined by FaZe Clan members Nate “Nate Hill” Hill and Trevor “Funk” Siegler. This team made it to the Grand Finals, finishing eighth out of twenty teams. Ninja’s competitive Fortnite career has largely been put on hold since then.
At the very least, Ninja and SypherPK return to competitive Fortnite should raise awareness and interest. On Monday, February 28th, the next Duos Cash Cup will take place. Between now and then, we’ll probably have a better idea.