Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, has spoken out against a viral TikTok video which takes shots at “sweats” and “tryhard” gamers.
The viral TikTok shows user mbeen22 criticising pro gamers for taking Devolver Digital’s Fall Guys too seriously, claiming it’s one of the reasons why games like Fortnite are no longer as popular as they once were.
In the TikTok video (which you can watch below) mbeen22 calls streamer BOBBYWASABl a “sweat,” blaming competitive gaming for “ruining” the fun of video games.
“This game has been out just one week and people are this tryhard at a party game. You lose the fun in a game when you turn everything so competitive,” he says.
@mubeen.momodu Too many sweats ##fyp ##foryou ##xyzbca ##fallguys
♬ Originalton – fallguysclipsz
While you definitely can argue that pro gaming can intimidate lesser skilled players, it’s absolutely a controversial topic which has divided the community. After Dexerto covered the story, Ninja took to Twitter to respond to the comments, telling his millions of fans that perfecting your craft is the key to success.
He tweeted: “The phrase ‘it’s just a game’ is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice. There’s always something to learn, and always room for improvement, never settle.”
[EDIT: As pointed out by a kind GameByte reader, Ninja’s words actually echo a sentiment he tweeted earlier this year, suggesting good ol’ Ninja is actually poking a bit of fun].
Ninja’s comments also received a lot of attention, with one gamer calling out his use of the phrase “weak mindset.”
They responded: “The phrase ‘it’s just a game’ isn’t a weak mindset, its acceptance of the fact that.. well, it’s a damn video game. I am entirely okay with losing because at least I had fun, even if its an “imperfection” (Perfection does not exist by the way).”
Whether you agree with mbeen22 or not, maybe we can at least all agree that Fall Guys is a great game whether you’re a pro or not. No we can’t? Okay 🙁
Featured Image Credit: Instagram:Ninja/Devolver Digital