Home / Profile

Northernlion

Twitch Partner

Real Name

Ryan Gary Letourneau

Age

Birthday

November 28, 1988

Location

Vancouver, Canada

Creator since

2006 (20 years ago)

Language(s)

English

Daily Rank

24H Change

↑21

Live status

Offline

Last live: 14h ago

Last streamed: Scam Line

Recent categories

Categories that Northernlion has recently streamed in. These update based on live activity.

Scam Line Slay the Spire II Just Chatting Counter-Strike RESIDENT EVIL: requiem ROGUELIKE VARIETY THE BINDING OF ISAAC SUPER AUTO PETS MEWGENICS

Socials

Bio

The Origin Story

Ryan Letourneau, known online as Northernlion, began his content creation journey in 2006 on YouTube while pursuing a degree in Biology. After a brief stint teaching English in South Korea, he returned to Canada in 2011 to pursue YouTube full-time, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the 'Let’s Play' community. He gained significant attention for his series on indie games, most notably 'The Binding of Isaac,' which remains one of the longest-running and most influential series in gaming history.

Rise to Fame

In 2013, Ryan launched the 'Northernlion Live Super Show' (NLSS), a multi-guest variety stream that redefined the format of group broadcasting on Twitch. His ability to maintain engaging, stream-of-consciousness commentary while playing mechanically demanding games helped him build a loyal 'egg' community. Over the years, he transitioned from a dedicated YouTube creator to a dominant Twitch variety streamer, successfully navigating major game trends like 'Slay the Spire,' 'Fall Guys,' and 'Super Auto Pets' while maintaining his signature pedantic and comedic style.

Legacy and Current Influence

Today, Northernlion is widely considered a 'streamer’s streamer,' often cited by creators like Markiplier and Ludwig as a major influence on their careers. He has cultivated a unique brand identity centered on intellectual humor, fatherhood anecdotes, and high-level gameplay in titles like 'Balatro' and 'Mewgenics.' His legacy lies in his remarkable consistency and his role as a tastemaker for indie developers, where a single stream from Ryan can often spark a game's viral success.

Career milestones

2006

YouTube Launch

Ryan created his Northernlion channel for a school project, eventually pivoting to gaming.
2011

Full-Time Transition

Returned from South Korea to commit to content creation full-time, starting his legendary Binding of Isaac series.
2013

The NLSS Era

Launched the Northernlion Live Super Show, which became a staple of Twitch variety broadcasting for years.
2021

Peak Viewership Record

Reached an all-time peak of 36,401 concurrent viewers on June 14, 2021.
2024

The 'Bald' Renaissance

Cemented his role as a top variety creator through viral success with 'Super Auto Pets' and daily banter clips.