Ninja Becomes First Pro Gamer on the Cover of ESPN Magazine
Today is a big day for gamers. ESPN has been inching its way towards us for some time now; it recently partnered with Blizzard to showcase the Overwatch tournaments. But to have a gamer grace the cover of its magazine, that’s on a whole nother level…
Today, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins lands on the cover of ESPN The Magazine – a first for a professional gamer. For those that don’t know, Ninja smashed Twitch streaming records, played Fortnite with celebrities like Drake and Travis Scott, has given multiple interviews on various non-game related platforms – showcasing us in a positive light – and more. He’s basically the face of gaming.
Though Ninja’s career isn’t void of controversy, he is one of our better representatives. His messages about having a back up plan, staying in school, and donations to charity help to solidify his worth to parents. He isn’t seen as someone who just lucked into his position. An otherwise “lazy” person who lucked into millions of dollars. No, he’s seen as somewhat of a role model; I’m pretty sure he’s the reason some parents out there are paying people to coach their kids in Fortnite.
Like I said, this is good news for gaming in general. Ninja’s face on the cover will help usher in more opportunities for pro gamers and a more positive outlook on video games. It’ll even help those who aren’t necessarily the best at playing video games by opening up different avenues/jobs. I’m sure ESPN will eventually need someone who’s well versed in this industry to help identify potential talent one day!
