Fortnite star Ninja is the biggest streamer on Twitch. Now he has stopped swearing. He wants to be family-friendly. But some fans see this critically. They accuse him of selling out.
Ninja says very bad words. Just in March, Ninja was involved in a “mini-scandal”. At that time, he had used the word “Nigga” in an improvised rap. There are also videos where the popular streamer resorts to a tone filled with swear words. Especially about the double shotgun in Fortnite, he has been known to get terribly upset. But somehow, for many, that is part of the culture on Twitch. It is seen as “authentic”.
Ninja wants to be like SpongeBob
But that is now over. For a few weeks now, it has been noticeable that the biggest streamer on Twitch is paying attention to his language. He no longer swears. In an interview, he said he wants to be like SpongeBob SquarePants now. Adults might still catch dirty jokes, but everything would be alright for kids.
A letter from a parent causes a rethink. Ninja says a letter from a parent reached him and made him rethink. While swearing in gaming is quite common, he does not want kids to run around shouting “Fuck” and swearing. In the future, Ninja will provide an age recommendation for his streams;
- When Ninja plays solo, the age recommendation will generally be “child-friendly.”
- When Ninja is with others, the age recommendation is higher. Because some celebrities with whom Ninja streams do not behave in a child-friendly manner. But Ninja does not want to give up collaborating with them.
Brother as a role model. He learned from his brother the ability to switch his language depending on the situation. His brother is a teacher and can refrain from using swear words or use them as needed.
Some fans scold: “Sellout”
Too commercial. Not everyone sees this positively, as the US site Kotaku knows. Among the fans, some view this as “betrayal.” They say it’s too commercial and mainstream. Ninja is selling out and changing himself. One user says: “It’s not Ninja’s job to raise kids. That’s the parents’ responsibility. This is 100% a cash move by Ninja.”
It’s not ninjas job to look after little kids, the parents should be the ones to do that. This was 100% a $$ move by ninj,
— Sailor (@Cosm1cBanter) May 9, 2018
Wife behind Ninja explains why this is happening. The head behind Ninja’s stream is his wife and manager, Jessica. She explains that Ninja has gained many viewers between the ages of 7 and 13. Ninja feels morally obligated to tone it down a bit for these young ears. However, she assures that there will still be situations in which he will turn it up again. She is proud of Ninja.
