The NICKMERCS MFAM Operator Bundle was removed from Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 today after the star Twitch streamer posted a tweet that sparked major backlash from the broader gaming community.
At first, the streamer-themed Call of Duty bundle was removed discreetly on June 8. Then, the developers confirmed it via a reply tweet the same day, explaining the Operator package was no longer available “due to recent events.” The devs also added the team is “focused on celebrating PRIDE with our employees and our community.”
NICKMERCS commented on an incident where anti-LGBTQ+ protestors allegedly attacked pro-LGBTQ+ demonstrators outside of a school board meeting by saying: “They should leave little children alone. That’s the real issue.”
The overwhelmingly negative reaction to his comment prompted NICKMERCS to elaborate on his stance on stream. In a response on June 8, he explained to his fans it wasn’t his intention to make anyone mad and insisted his tweet wasn’t an anti-gay message.
“If that’s what you got from that tweet, then you’re just wrong. You’re just wrong,” he said. “We can agree to disagree, but if you think that I hate you because you’re a certain way, you couldn’t be any more wrong.”
NICKMERCS’ on-stream response did little to quell the outrage. Some fans rallied behind him, but many others were still disappointed by his comments. In their view, acceptance is a valuable life skill for all ages.
Reactions to the removal of the Operator Bundle have been mixed. Not because people disagree with it, although some do. But rather, because there’s a bit of uncertainty about what will happen to those who already bought it since its release.
Some fear it could be vaulted, although a refund would likely be given.