Does Ninja have cancer?

Tyler “Ninja” Belvins may no longer be the leading force in eSports and, in particular, Fortnite, but he remains among the the most-followed Twitch streamers out there.

He’s held onto that title for an impressive amount of time, even as fresh eSports stars crop up around him and dominate in arenas he formerly commanded. His work on YouTube continues to see the 32-year-old pump out content, and its a rare day that any of his uploads get less than 200,000 views. While he’s not an entirely uncontroversial figure — most of his pushback relates to behavior during streams — Ninja remains a largely unproblematic, coveted figure in the world of gaming.

Which made it all the more devastating for the streamer’s army of fans when rumors of a harsh diagnosis started to spread. Reports of a cancer diagnosis for the young Fortnite favorite devastated his legion of fans, but how serious is his prognosis?

Does Ninja have cancer?

Reports that Ninja was diagnosed with cancer are true, but don’t panic unnecessarily. The 32-year-old confirmed, via a post to X, that a routine check-up revealed a melanoma on his foot, but his doctors are optimistic. He noted that, while he’s still “in a bit of shock,” about the situation, he’s also “grateful to have hope” in finding this early” due to the early catch. His doctors caught onto the melanoma — which is a type of skin cancer that originates in the cells that determine skin pigment — nice and early, and they’re working hard to make sure Ninja is cancer-free as soon as possible.

Ninja’s diagnosis is scary, particularly given his young age, but it could have been much more serious if it was caught later down the road. Thanks to Ninja’s careful preventative care — notably scheduled by his wife — he caught the issue early, and will likely make a full recovery. He warned others to take his situation as a warning, and to remember that preventative care can, and does, save lives.