Northernlion
{{Short description|Canadian internet personality (born 1988)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Northernlion
| image =
| caption = Northernlion in 2018
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|11|28}}
| birth_place = Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| education = Queen's University (BS)
| occupation = {{Hlist|Twitch streamer|YouTuber|gamer}}
| spouse = {{Marriage|Kate Letourneau|May 2014}}
| children = 1
| module = {{Infobox Twitch streamer|subbox = yes
| channel_name = Northernlion
| years_active = 2010–present
| genre = Video gaming
| followers = 819 thousand
| associated_acts = {{Hlist|Dan Gheesling}}
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|subbox = yes
| channel_handle = Northernlion
| years_active = 2006–present
| genre = {{Hlist|Video gaming|podcast}}
| subscribers = 1.25 million
| views = 1.51 billion
| stats_update = April 3rd, 2025
}}
| module3 = {{Listen voice
| name = Ryan Gary Letourneau
| filename= Northernlion interview clip 2013.ogg
| description=Letourneau discusses whether his Let's Play series of The Binding of Isaac held the world record for the most parts in a Let's Play series
| recorded=October 2013
}}
}}
Ryan Gary Letourneau (born November 28, 1988),{{Cite tweet |user=Northernlion |number=1446669438103613440 |title=as a middle name gary I'm just happy we're getting out there in the limelight again}}{{cite web |last1=Letourneau |first1=Ryan |title=OK smart guy, let's see you take a crack at it (Silent Hill 2) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwEgfQkE8Q |via=YouTube |access-date=December 19, 2024 |date=October 31, 2024 |time=19:47 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106220943/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwEgfQkE8Q |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |url-status=live |quote=You're aware that I'm nearly 36 years old, right? }}{{cite web |last1=Letourneau |first1=Ryan |title=How could this lose to a little robot (The Bazaar) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFkTt_kc6hY |via=YouTube |access-date=December 19, 2024 |date=December 3, 2024 |time=5:01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213065212/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFkTt_kc6hY |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |url-status=live |quote='How'd your daughter react to it being your birthday?' ... And then I said 'you can't whine today, it's Daddy's birthday.'}} better known as Northernlion, is a Canadian streamer and YouTuber.{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/3/21/5531786/youtube-northernlion-advice-indie-devs-succeed|title=YouTube star Northernlion gives advice on how indie devs can succeed on video|first=Philip|last=Kollar|website=Polygon|date=March 21, 2014|access-date=April 27, 2022}} He is a full-time gaming streamer on Twitch and uploads parts of his streams to YouTube, while also creating content exclusively for YouTube.
Career
= YouTube =
Letourneau created his YouTube channel "Northernlion" on May 30, 2006.{{cite web |last1=Northernlion |title=Channel description |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/Northernlion/about |website=YouTube |access-date=15 May 2022}} In 2011, he began regularly posting content to YouTube full-time, mainly consisting of Let's Play videos of various indie games. That same year, Letourneau began uploading gaming videos of The Binding of Isaac, which became one of his most popular Let's Play series and helped garner him an online following.{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/gaming-on-youtube-why-and-who-to-watch-1324597|title=Gaming on YouTube: Why and who to watch|first=Bob|last=McCann|website=TechRadar|date=July 8, 2016|access-date=July 3, 2022|archive-date=July 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704061004/https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/gaming-on-youtube-why-and-who-to-watch-1324597|url-status=live}} Alongside other Let's Play videos, Letourneau's videos of The Binding of Isaac were credited with bringing the game popularity; game creator Edmund McMillen stated that Let's Play videos boosted sales of the game. In 2013, Letourneau interviewed McMillen about The Binding of Isaac, where he stated that the popularity of the game convinced him to make Rebirth.{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/the-binding-of-isaac-has-passed-the-two-million-sales-mark|title=The Binding of Isaac has passed the two million sales mark|first=Stephany|last=Nunneley|website=VG247|date=April 19, 2013|access-date=July 3, 2022}} One year later, he attended the Game Developers Conference to discuss the impact of Let's Play videos on the sales of various video games, also referencing how the popularity of his Binding of Isaac videos led to increased exposure of the game.{{cite web|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/03/21/game-developers-conference-ryan-letourneau-binding-of-isaac/|title=Indie Game Developer Claims YouTubers Helped Boost Sales Tenfold|first=Sam|last=Gutelle|website=Tubefilter|date=March 21, 2014|access-date=November 25, 2022}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=fF4jzSGgQcsMll3-&v=FfJIBL-5flo&feature=youtu.be |title=Ryan Letourneau - Using YouTube channels to market your game (June 2013) |date=2025-05-12 |last=The Library of Letourneau |access-date=2025-05-12 |via=YouTube}}
Letourneau has also been credited for popularizing other video games with his gaming videos, such as Enter the Gungeon,{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Steven T. |title=There are too many video games. What now? |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/28/17911372/there-are-too-many-video-games-what-now-indiepocalypse |website=Polygon |date=September 28, 2018 |access-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024233035/https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/28/17911372/there-are-too-many-video-games-what-now-indiepocalypse |url-status=live }} Slay the Spire{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/games/slay-the-spire-has-china-to-thank-for-launching-its-700000-sales-in-steam-early-access/|title=Slay the Spire has China to thank for launching its 700,000 sales in Steam Early Access|quote=Popular streamers like Northernlion helped boost the game's visibility, and as more players picked it up, it became the second most-downloaded Steam game at the end of January.|first=Stephanie|last=Chan|website=VentureBeat|date=April 15, 2018|access-date=November 25, 2022}} and Monster Train.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgames.de/Monster-Train-Spiel-72505/News/der-grosse-steam-erfolg-des-roguelike-karten-mix-1350920/|title=Monster Train: Huge hit of roguelike card game mix on Steam|first=Andre|last=Linken|website=PC Games|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=November 25, 2022|language=de}} Bob McCann of TechRadar described Letourneau as "[managing] to be both informative and talk through his tactical choices during games, which many viewers find useful." Jonathan Lee of Yahoo! News has also noted Letourneau for his "quick wit."{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/twitch-streamer-reveals-bald-people-192022432.html|title=Streamer shares 'genius' response to troll who shamed him for being bald: 'Here's what you do'|quote=Ryan “Northernlion” Letourneau is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer well known for his quick wit... The Canadian streamer has also recently become a father. He and fellow streamer Kate Letourneau announced the birth of their daughter Luna in September 2020.|first=Jonathan|last=Lee|website=Yahoo! News|date=April 8, 2021|access-date=December 2, 2022}}
= Twitch =
Letourneau created his Twitch channel "Northernlion" on August 5, 2010.{{cite web |title=NORTHERNLION |url=https://twitchtracker.com/northernlion |website=TwitchTracker |access-date=15 May 2022}} On February 25, 2013,{{cite web |last1=Northernlion |title=Northernlion Live Super Show! [February 25th, 2013] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fi6U6ZuT0M&t=1260s |website=YouTube |access-date=15 May 2022}} Letourneau uploaded the first "Northernlion Live Super Show" (NLSS), a three-hour stream in which he and his co-hosts would play a variety of videogames, usually divided into three one-hour-long segments.{{cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/fall-guys/news/new-fall-guys-mode-the-star-show-available-today-for-limited-time|title=New Fall Guys mode, the Star Show, available today for limited time|first=Nádia|last=Linhares|website=Dot Esports|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 25, 2022|archive-date=November 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126064529/https://dotesports.com/fall-guys/news/new-fall-guys-mode-the-star-show-available-today-for-limited-time|url-status=live}} He alongside other members of the show were included in the indie game Spelunky 2 as an easter egg.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/spelunky-2-and-hades-use-chaos-to-spark-conversation-making-them-the-perfect-lockdown-games/|title=Spelunky 2 and Hades use chaos to spark conversation, making them the perfect lockdown games|quote=Spelunky had a healthy streaming community that built up around it, from the Spelunky Showlike, to the NorthernLion Super Show – the members of which are even referenced in an easter egg in the Dwelling's Udjat Eye room.|first=Luke|last=Shaw|website=GamesRadar+|date=November 11, 2020|access-date=December 7, 2022}} The final episode of the NLSS aired on January 21, 2021.{{cite web |last1=Northernlion |title=The Northernlion Live Super Show! (January 21st, 2021) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BP8Z1bdPU |website=YouTube |date=January 23, 2021 |access-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203162608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BP8Z1bdPU&list=PL1O4GjhJgk439eyYAxh_HNE_0SNZ9TpmA&index=1407 |url-status=live }}{{primary source inline|date=June 2024}}
In 2016, Letourneau participated in an esports tournament sponsored by Amazon, where he competed and won against Twitch streamer Adam "B0aty" Lyne in Pac-Man 256.{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/champions-of-fire/the-unexpected-drama-of-amazons-casual-e-sports-to/|title=The Unexpected Drama of Amazon's Casual E-Sports Tournament|first=Leif|last=Johnson|website=Paste|date=December 16, 2016|access-date=November 25, 2022|archive-date=November 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126064557/https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/champions-of-fire/the-unexpected-drama-of-amazons-casual-e-sports-to/|url-status=live}} In 2020, Letourneau was invited to stream the video game Among Us with United States congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Canadian member of Parliament Jagmeet Singh; the stream also featured internet personalities Hasan Piker, ContraPoints, Corpse Husband, Sykkuno and xQc.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/among-us-stream-sees-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-and-jagmeet-singh-raise-200k-2827265|title='Among Us' stream sees Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jagmeet Singh raise $200k|first=Luke|last=Shaw|website=NME|date=November 28, 2020|access-date=November 25, 2022|archive-date=November 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126064528/https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/among-us-stream-sees-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-and-jagmeet-singh-raise-200k-2827265|url-status=live}} Letourneau received a nomination in the 2022 Streamer Awards for the category of "Best Strategy Game Streamer."{{cite web|url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/16733/all-the-award-winners-at-the-streamer-awards-2022|title=All the award winners at The Streamer Awards 2022|first=Aaron|last=Alford|website=Inven Global|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=November 25, 2022}} A 2023 livestream where Letourneau played Luck Be a Landlord was the initial inspiration for developer LocalThunk to create Balatro, which would go on to win multiple awards including Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/139116/balatro-inspiration-luck-be-a-landlord-reddit-ama|title=Balatro was largely inspired by slot machine roguelike Luck Be a Landlord|work=ShackNews|access-date=13 December 2024|date=14 March 2024|archive-date=December 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241206232024/https://www.shacknews.com/article/139116/balatro-inspiration-luck-be-a-landlord-reddit-ama|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-game-awards-2024-winners-the-full-list |title=The Game Award 2024 Winners: The Full List |last=Moore |first=Bo |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=December 12, 2024 |accessdate=December 13, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213054532/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-game-awards-2024-winners-the-full-list |archivedate=December 13, 2024 |url-status=live }}
Personal life
Letourneau was born on November 28, 1988{{cite web|url=https://earlygame.com/entertainment/streamer-gets-emotionally-blackmailed-by-twitch-to-stream-more|title=Streamer Gets Emotionally Blackmailed By Twitch To Stream More|first=Robert|last=Bachhuber|website=EarlyGame|date=December 1, 2022|access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207072820/https://earlygame.com/entertainment/streamer-gets-emotionally-blackmailed-by-twitch-to-stream-more|url-status=live}}{{cite tweet |user=Northernlion |number=1199963887774289920 |title=thanks for the birthday wishes y'all}} and grew up in Greater Napanee, Ontario, Canada, forty-five kilometres outside of Kingston, Ontario. He often says he is from Kingston because "none of you . . . know where Greater Napanee is."{{cite web |last1=Northernlion |title=I was actually robbed? (Peglin) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZZkjBgLOpM&t=4146 |website=YouTube |date=May 4, 2022 |access-date=15 May 2022 |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515194559/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZZkjBgLOpM&t=4146 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=The Library of Letourneau |title=the map guy - Bits and Banter [11/04/2024] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTPApG4OQDA&t=543s |website=YouTube |date=November 4, 2024 |access-date=Nov 7, 2024}}
Letourneau married Kate Letourneau in May 2014.{{cite web |last1=Kate LovelyMomo |title=20,000 Subscribers! Thank you! Q&A Time! Cat cam & face cam |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdq54bNt3nk&t=38s |website=YouTube |date=November 30, 2014 |access-date=15 May 2022}} On September 28, 2020 their daughter was born. The Letourneaus use the alias “Luna” to refer to her online, in order to protect her privacy.{{cite web |last1=Kate LovelyMomo |title=Luna Diary - 1 month old! |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=930&v=KXqDgZWmZwc |website=YouTube |date=October 27, 2020 |access-date=1 October 2024}}