Call of Duty boycott: Nickmercs' fans boycott game after streamer's Operator skin is removed

With #IStandwithNickmercs trending on Twitter, several fans of the Twitch streamers have started boycotting Call of Duty after they removed the creator's officially licensed Operator skin. The bundle was removed from the game following a controversial tweet pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community. While many have criticized the streamer for his insensitive comment, fans have unleashed a full-fledged boycott on the franchise, uninstalling both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.

Tweets like the one below with screenshots of people uninstalling Call of Duty titles have gained significant traction on social media, with many calling on Activision to publicly apologize to Nickmercs and reinstate his Operator bundle in the game store.

What did Nickmercs say that caused Call of Duty to remove his Operator skin and bundle from the game? Reason for boycott explored

For those out of the loop, here is a quick refresher on the events that have led to the current Call of Duty boycott. Popular Twitch streamer Nicholas "Nickmercs" recently posted a tweet in reply to esporting broadcaster MLG Puckett who had tweeted in support of LGBTQ+ demonstrators who were attacked by Proud Boys and other white nationalist groups in front of Glendale School in California.

While Puckett had talked about people respecting each other's right to love and be who they want, Nicholas had parrotted conservative arguments that the "real issue" was that "they," as in the pro-LGBTQ+ demonstrators, should "leave little children alone."

This caused widespread backlash from prominent esporting professionals and fellow content creators who claimed that Nickmercs was parroting a dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ narrative that has repeatedly and baselessly linked gay and trans rights with p*dophilia.

After some backlash, the official Call of Duty page announced they were removing the FaZe Clan member's Operator bundle from Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2's stores.

Nickmercs has defended his statements in subsequent streams, claiming that his tweet was not anti-gay but his own opinion as a father. However, many among the people boycotting Activision and Call of Duty over the issue have spouted openly homophobic rhetoric. Here are some of the general tweets boycotting the game, with a number of them linking the LGBTQ+ community with p*dophilia.

Dr DisRespect has fully supported the boycott and uninstalled Call of Duty on his most recent stream in protest of the removal of his fellow Twitch streamer's Operator bundle. Read more on that here.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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