Activision Blizzard and Call of Duty have decided to remove the “NICKMERCS Operator” bundle from the Modern Warfare II and Warzone store after the popular COD streamer posted a comment in response to recent violence against pro-LGBT demonstrators in California.


Nickmercs has 6.7 million Twitch followers and faced instant backlash over his tweet. Many viewers were upset with his apparent stance, especially considering the size of his following and the violence displayed in the video.



“I’m disappointed in you Nick,” @GoldenboyFTW said. “Teaching acceptance and tolerance for EVERYONE is a valuable life skill for all ages.”


“So @NICKMERCS  violence is acceptable in this situation?” @SoCal_Jerry asked. “That's the issue here?”


Nickmercs responded to the backlash in a subsequent stream and attempted to clarify his statement.



“I just simply feel that I want to be the one, and my wife wants to be the one to speak to our child about stuff like that,” he said. “I’m not apologizing about the tweet, because I don’t feel like it’s wrong.”



Immediately following Call of Duty’s decision, fans and streamers alike flocked to support Nickmercs and trash Activision Blizzard. Among them was the prominent streamer Dr. Disrespect, who uninstalled the game and vowed not to return until they re-add the bundle. The term “Call of groomer” even trended on Twitter.  



It is unclear whether Activision Blizzard will re-evaluate their decision. That said, those who are more upset with Activision Blizzard over the removal of a streamer’s skin than they were with the company’s numerous public transgressions and women’s rights violations, should re-evaluate their priorities. Either way, Nickmercs no longer has any skin in the game.