Tyler “Trainwreck” Niknam is one of Twitch’s most polarizing streamers.
On the one hand, he has two million followers on the platform who regularly tune in to watch him chat, gamble, and play games. But on the other hand, people condemn him for that very reason, claiming he promotes gambling to the masses, regardless of his efforts to warn them of the dangers and encourage them not to do it.
However, people have mixed opinions about him for other reasons, too. Before he started streaming on Twitch in 2015, he earned a bachelor’s degree in analytic philosophy at Arizona State University.
As a result of his studies and no-nonsense personality, he developed a reputation for voicing his brutally honest opinion on things—or in his terms, ‘keeping it a buck fifty,’ even though his takes were controversial.
He was banned in 2017 for calling several female streamers “sluts” and accusing them of stealing views from people who deserved them more. He also got banned in 2018 for allegedly making sexist comments during a stream.
However, he turned things around in 2019 when he launched the Scuffed Podcast, a show in which he and other personalities talked about issues and topics in the scene.
His popularity exploded at the height of the Among Us craze in 2020, and during the 2020 United States Presidential Election, his IRL streams saw him become the second most-watched streamer at that time.
The controversy surrounding him still exists. However, Train has become one of the most philanthropic streamers on Twitch. He’s given away millions of dollars, donated $350,000 to a non-profit mental health care company, and more.
Regardless of how people feel about him, there’s no denying the polarizing star has cemented his place as a major presence on the platform, and his popularity is still on the rise.
Trainwreck, at a glance
- Real Name: Tyler Niknam
- Age: 31
- Birthday: December 20, 1990
- Nationality: American
- Partner: Kayla
- Awards: None
- Org: None
What games does Trainwreck play?
Trainwreck’s most played games are World of Warcraft, Among Us, CS:GO, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone. However, when combined, they barely constitute 22.6 percent of his total stream time.
That’s because Train has spent 3,372 hours and 29 percent of his stream time Just Chatting, and 3,075 hours and 26.4 percent playing slots, the latter of which he’s mostly known for.
What is Trainwreck’s streaming setup?
- CPU: Intel Core i9-7902x
- MOBO: MSI X299 Gaming M7 ACK
- GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- RAM: Patriot Viper 4 DDR 32GB
- SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
- Mouse: SteelSeries Rival 300
- Monitor: ACER KG271 144hz
- Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate
How much does Trainwreck make?
According to leaked data that surfaced in 2021, Trainwreck made $1,572,912 from his streams alone between Aug. 2019 and Oct. 2021. However, he makes a lot more than that from sponsorship deals.
For example, in 2021, he said he gets paid more than a million dollars a month to gamble on stream, suggesting his net worth is likely much higher compared to other streamers on the list.
Where is Trainwreck from?
Niknam was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, but moved to Canada in 2021 to make it easier to keep doing sponsored gambling streams.
Why is Trainwreck so popular on Twitch?
Train is popular on Twitch for two reasons. First, some people respect him for being brazen and honest about things. They know he’ll say what he really thinks, even if it lands him in hot water.
Second, others enjoy watching the roller-coaster ride of his gambling streams, especially when he wins big. It allows them to experience it vicariously through him rather than risking it all themselves.
Trainwreck’s most popular Twitch clip
Train’s most popular clip is of him reacting to the time popular rapper 21 Savage followed him on Twitter in 2020. More than a million people have watched the clip since it happened on stream.
So what’s next for Trainwreck?
It’s unlikely Train will deviate from his usual content, which revolves around Just Chatting and sponsored gambling streams, in the foreseeable future.
However, he has been playing Apex Legends quite a bit in 2022, so there’s a chance he might stream it more.
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