Fresh off his split with game streaming platform Twitch, popular video gamer and Fortnite star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is back with what might be his biggest brand deal yet.
On his Twitter account, Ninja announced that he has signed a partnership deal with the German sportswear giant Adidas, making him the first pro gamer ever to be signed by the brand.
In an interview with Engadget, Adidas stated that the deal was meant to show its commitment to the ever-growing gaming culture as well as to support “creators who show dedication to excelling in their field.” They also added that ultimately, their goal is to help athletes excel and make a difference in their respective game, no matter the game they are playing.
Ninja’s partnership with Adidas is the second major deal to come from the gamer this August. He first shocked gaming communities worldwide with his highly publicised split with Amazon’s Twitch in favour of its rival, Microsoft’s Mixer.
“I remember when people used to ask me whether I could actually make a career out of gaming,” Blevins wrote on the teaser video for his partnership with Adidas. “I remember when people used to tell me this would never be ‘real.’ There are no shortcuts. Only long days. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t catch your dreams. Choose your path. Put the time in. I’m humbled, and excited, to officially announce my partnership with Adidas.”
While Ninja does not necessarily need sneakers and the like to perform better while gaming, it is still impressive to see that Ninja, a video gamer, has managed to partner up with a sportswear brand as big as Adidas. Conversely, Adidas now has the biggest gaming star under its wing.
Details of the partnership have yet to be revealed but Ninja has mentioned during a Mixer stream that details will be released soon.
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