The Call of Duty franchise is no stranger to collaborating with famous faces and including them in games as playable Operators. For example, over the course of the current Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 cycle, the likes of Lionel Messi and TimTheTatman have dropped into the action.
Ahead of Season 4, popular content creator and FaZe Clan co-owner Nick ‘Nickmercs’ Kolcheff got his very own cosmetics bundle, much to the delight of his fans.
However, on June 8, the streamer came under fire for a controversial tweet about Pride Month and, following a wave of backlash, Activision has removed his skin from the in-game store.
Nickmercs Operator is no more
In a tweet confirming the bundle's removal, Activision stated: “we are focused on celebrating PRIDE with our employees and our community”.
The Call of Duty publisher is no stranger to taking action amid controversy. In 2019, the Overwatch League designed a skin for MVP Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won and shortly after abuse allegations arose, developers changed the appearance of the skin to distance it from the player.
Those that purchased the Sinatraa skin could claim a refund or choose to remove it from their inventory so there’s a chance Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 players that own the Nickmercs bundle will have the same option.
- Check out: Best Modern Warfare 2 ranked play loadouts
It’s unclear if the removal of the Nickmercs bundle is a temporary decision, with players that have already purchased currently still being able to use it in battle royale and multiplayer modes.
The content creator has since stood by the controversial Tweet, which suggested children should be “left alone” in schools and not receive an education on LGBTQIA+ topics. During a recent live stream, Nickmercs claimed he “didn’t mean to upset anybody”, while reiterating that he believes school isn’t a “place to speak about things like that.”
Nickmercs is one of two content creators to recently receive an in-game Operator, with he and TimTheTatman having launched bundles at the beginning of June.
For more Call of Duty, check out our guides showcasing the current Warzone meta and how to unlock the Tempus Razorback assault rifle.