xQc criticizes Plaqueboymax's claims about Adin Ross, says Ninja was the first streamer to go mainstream

Felix "xQc" has been relevant in the streaming sphere for over five years and, during his journey, he has seen the rise and fall of some of the industry's biggest players. Recently, on the topic of influence and breaking into the commercial space, Felix reacted to a clip from FaZe's Plaqueboymax, who claimed that Adin Ross was the first streamer to really go mainstream and break barriers.

Max believed that Adin paved the way for emerging streamers of his era, such as IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat, who have since made successful transitions into mainstream media and collaborated with a diverse array of celebrities — from sports stars to musical artists:

"[Adin was] the first ni**a with his foot in the door, like really making it mainstream... Adin was the first ni**a really doin' it with a 100% bro. Adin was before Kai and Speed, I mean Speed was really blowin' up that same year, but not like Adin was yet."

Over time, Kick's Adin Ross has become a cultural figure outside of live streaming as well; a prime example of this would be his record-breaking broadcast with American President, Donald J Trump. That being said, contrary to Max's beliefs, xQc stated that the first to make waves outside of streaming was Fortnite legend, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins:

"The rewriting of live-streaming history has to stop. Ninja was the first AND the only one to go mainstream and nothing even comes close."

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xQc supports Ninja against Plaqueboymax's statement claiming that Adin Ross was the first streamer to go mainstream

Felix also mentioned that before Adin Ross' climb to popularity and commercial fame, which started post-2020, Ninja had already established himself as a well-renowned streamer across the internet:

"It took YEARS before getting anywhere where Ninja was at."

Instances of Ninja's breakout into mainstream media can be seen as early as 2017, with the launch of Epic Games' Fortnite: Battle Royale. In March 2018, the streamer collaborated with hip-hop megastars, Drake and Travis Scott in a series of Fortnite squad matches. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver John Sherman "JuJu" also joined the squad, creating a star-studded lobby.

As of this writing, highlights from this team-up have over 15 million views on the streamer's official YouTube channel.

In 2019, he forged an association with the NFL — nearly six years before award-winning streamers like Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed collaborated with the league.

His brief appearance in the NFL's "The 100-Year Game" commercial during Super Bowl LIII in 2019 underscored his unique position as a gaming icon within mainstream media. Notably, he was the only participant without direct ties to football.

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In other news, after witnessing an awkward incident at CES 2025, xQc is considering selling his Nvidia stocks.