LOS ANGELES — Handfuls of players have vowed to uninstall "Call of Duty," days after the popular video game franchise removed a streamer from its online store for his comments about LGBTQ+ policies in school.
After a brawl between pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrators outside a meeting at the Glendale Unified School District Board last week, streamer and esports personality Nickmercs (real name Nick Kolcheff) responded to a video of the clash.
"They should leave little children alone. That's the real issue," he wrote on June 7, replying to another Twitch user who encouraged followers to "Let people love who they love."
Nickmercs' message echoed those of conservatives who are opposed to LGBTQ+ rights and allege that implementing gender and sexuality into schools' curriculum is "grooming" children.
His comment brought on a frenzy of divided reactions. Some Twitter users sided with Nickmercs, while another said, "The REAL issue is people like you existing and spreading anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric." Nickmercs' tweet, which had garnered more than 84,000 likes and 10,000 retweets as of Tuesday morning, also caught the attention of the official "Call of Duty" account.
A day after the controversial tweet, speculation about the streamer's relationship with "Call of Duty" arose. On June 8, "Call of Duty" announced it cut ties with Nickmercs, who built his following by streaming popular first-person shooter games.
"Due to recent events, we have removed the 'NICKMERCS Operator' bundle from the Modern Warfare II and Warzone store," the game tweeted. "We are focused on celebrating PRIDE with our employees and our community." The online store previously touted a Spartan-themed costume inspired by the streamer.
"Good on @CallofDuty for calling him out on his homophobia, removing his s— from the game, and protecting queer kids," wrote one Twitter user and Twitch content creator.
Elsewhere in the replies, Nickmercs' followers and supporters chided "Call of Duty" for its decision. Some said it was "f— up," and another Twitter user said "Call of Duty" is the "Bud Light of video games," — seemingly referring to the beer company's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The backlash didn't stop there. On Saturday, streamer TimTheTatMan (real name Timothy Betar) called on "Call of Duty" to remove his cosmetic bundle from the game's online store. Like Nickmercs, TimTheTatMan boasts more than 2 million followers on Twitter.
"It feels wrong for me to have mine and [Nickmercs] no longer have his. In support of my friend, please remove the timthetatman bundle," he said. Activision complied with the streamer's request, removing the skin from the store, The Times confirmed.
Dr Disrespect (real name Herschel "Guy" Beahm IV), another popular streamer and co-founder of game developer Midnight Society, slammed "Call of Duty" for its decision and says he uninstalled the game in support of Nickmercs. Disrespect — who reportedly caught heat for livestreaming inside a bathroom while attending video game showcase E3 in 2019 — previously uninstalled multiple "Call of Duty" games in late 2022.
As prominent streamers voiced their support for Nickmercs, some of "Call of Duty's" millions of global players seemingly began uninstalling various installments of the popular franchise from their consoles.
In a statement shared Friday, Nickmercs thanked his circle for support, writing, "friends are created in good times, but families are built through adversity."
"Appreciate all of you that have my back, understand my position as a new father & recognize the love I have for all," he continued. "Ain't no hate in this heart. P&L."
