NickMercs Fallout: Call of Duty Drops Controversial Bundle in Response to Streamer's Tweets

Following a recent controversy surrounding Twitch streamer Nicholas “NickMercs” Kolcheff's tweets regarding Pride month, Call of Duty has announced that the NickMercs Bundle will no longer be available for purchase in the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores. The bundle, which was dedicated to the popular Esports personality and co-owner of FaZe Clan, is currently unavailable with no information on whether it will return to the in-game stores. The controversy arose when NickMercs made a comment on Twitter regarding a video showing anti-LGBT protesters attacking pro-LGBT demonstrators outside a school board meeting that was voting on recognizing June as Pride month. His statement, which suggested that pro-LGBT partisans should "leave little children alone," sparked a heated debate on social media, with some users supporting his views while others accused him of promoting anti-LGBT violence.

Call of Duty removed the NickMercs Bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores following a controversial tweet. Although players who have already purchased the bundle can still use its cosmetics, weapon blueprints, and the NickMercs Operator, the bundle is no longer available to those who haven't already bought it. Call of Duty explained its decision to remove the bundle on Twitter, stating that the company is focused on celebrating Pride month and cannot support comments deemed as anti-LGBTQIA+. Despite his tweet, NickMercs explained during a stream that his comment wasn't intended to target the LGBTQIA+ community. Instead, he and his wife wanted to be responsible for teaching their children about sensitive topics and didn't want schools to be involved. While he did not apologize for his tweet or remove it, he clarified that he never intended to cause any harm.

The removal of the NickMercs Bundle from Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores by Activision sparked a mixed reaction among players. While some praised the company for taking a stand in support of LGBTQIA+ rights, others failed to comprehend the decision, as they did not believe NickMercs had committed any wrongdoing. Certain players sided with the streamer and opposed the celebration of Pride month, while others pointed out Activision's lack of action towards the sexual harassment accusations that prompted the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing lawsuit last year, despite taking swift action against anti-LGBT comments.