Ninja, Twitch’s Top Streamer, Announces Cancer Diagnosis at 32

Ninja, Twitch’s top streamer, announced on Tuesday that he was diagnosed with skin cancer. The 32-year-old Illinois native, who was born Tyler Blevins and rose to fame through his Fortnite prowess, explained that the discovery was made after his wife, Jessica, scheduled him for a routine dermatology check-up.

“A few weeks ago I went to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me,” the streamer began his statement. He went on to explain that a mole on the bottom of his foot tested positive for melanoma, though everyone remains “optimistic that we caught it in the early stages.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, melanoma is a type of skin cancer which begins in the melanocytes, the cells which make pigment. It most often presents itself as moles on the outer body, though can also sprout within one’s body or in the eyes. It’s typically caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays, such as tanning beds. Melanoma is increasingly being found in those under 40 years of age.

Doctors also found that Ninja had a separate “dark spot” near the mole, which was removed on Tuesday shortly before he announced his diagnosis. “They biopsied that and removed a larger area around the melanoma,” he explained, “with the hopes that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma edges and we will know we got it.”

Though he admitted to being “still in a bit of shock,” Ninja said he was “grateful to have hope in finding this early.” He also urged his millions of followers to “please take this as a PSA to get skin checkups.”

Ninja boasts an astounding 19 million followers on Twitch, the most of any streamer on the platform. He began his Twitch career in 2011, quickly gaining momentum with spirited Fortnite play-throughs. Ninja has become so synonymous with the game that Fortnite even designed a character to resemble him. He also appeared as a contestant on the second season of The Masked Singer.