Activision pulls NICKMERCS Call of Duty Bundle for the most innocuous reason yet. What is this world coming to.
In a highly controversial move, Activision has removed the custom Call of Duty bundle of popular streamer Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff from their in-game store. This swift action follows hot on the heels of NICKMERCS' comment regarding LGBTQIA+ education in schools during Pride Month, which ignited a firestorm on social media. All he said was literally just "They should leave little children alone. That's the real issue." Which many agree online that there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with stating.
The widely followed gamer and Twitch streamer set off a wave of criticism by stating that children should not be exposed to LGBTQIA+ topics in school settings. He argued that such issues were inappropriate for educational environments, causing a barrage of backlash to flood in from the Twitter community.
In an attempt to douse the flames, NICKMERCS addressed the situation on a subsequent Twitch stream, maintaining his position while stating that his intention was not to upset anyone. However, he held firm to his belief that schools were not the appropriate platform for discussing such issues, even in the face of mounting criticism.
Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty, reacted to the brewing controversy within a matter of hours. The company promptly removed NICKMERCS' custom cosmetic pack from the game's store, which had been made available just weeks prior in a pioneering move for streamer-associated merchandise. Notably, this bundle was launched in tandem with that of fellow streamer TimTheTatman.
Citing the recent events, Activision confirmed the removal of the NICKMERCS Operator bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone store on June 8. In their statement, they emphasized their commitment to celebrating Pride Month alongside their employees and the wider gaming community.
However, the ramifications of Activision's decision remain somewhat clouded. It is uncertain whether this is a temporary measure or a permanent fixture, and it is yet to be seen whether the repercussions will extend to those who already own the NICKMERCS bundle.
This is not the first time that Activision Blizzard, the parent company, has taken such measures. In a parallel case from recent years, the Overwatch League created unique MVP skins to honor outstanding players. In 2019, the MVP award went to Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won. However, after facing allegations of abuse, his custom Zarya skin in the game was actively altered by the developers to dissociate from the player. Purchasers of the skin also had the option to remove it from their collections and request a refund. It remains to be seen whether Activision will implement similar measures in relation to the NICKMERCS bundle.
~Smash
What amazes me is how anyone buys the lie that companies like Activision, Target, Kohl's (etc., etc.) actually care anything about pride. They don't. They care about money and woke, corporate DEI scores. Because most of America rejects this trash (see Target's 13+ billion market crash). And on top of that, Mr. Nickmercs is 1000% right. Folks have NO BUSINESS pushing this Alphabet Mafia garbage on our children. Good on him for being a REAL man (who believes in protecting the most vulnerable and impressionable of society) and SHAME on Activision for, well, being Activision.
(Of course, that children would be playing Call of Duty in the first place is a bigger problem, but that's a discussion for another day.)