Nickmercs doubled down on a controversial Pride tweet when he returned to Twitch on June 20, gaining roughly 11,000 subscribers in the process.
The FaZe Clan-sponsored streamer caught up with his fans on stream, clarifying his stance on a tweet related to a pro-LGBTQ+ protest from June 7. “I stand by everything I said,” he said.
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He also claimed social media twisted his words and that his tweet wasn’t anti-LGBTQ+. “I do have a lot of people thinking that I hate them because they are a certain way, and that’s just crazy,” he said. “Listen, these kids are very young, can’t they just go be kids? Gotta nothing to do with that.”
The controversy comes after Nickmercs reacted to an incident in a pro-LGBTQ+ demonstration in Glendale, California, where people were allegedly attacked by anti-LGBTQ+ protestors.
It took place outside a school board meeting on Pride Month recognition. He responded to esports broadcaster Puckett on Twitter, saying “They should leave little children alone.” He went silent on social media and Twitch after receiving backlash. His Operator bundle in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was also removed the next day.
Nickmercs has now seemingly bounced back from the controversy with his return stream following a two-week break. He gained roughly 11,000 subscribers for the duration of the broadcast and saw a peak of over 22,000 concurrent viewers, according to Twitchmetrics. “That’s so fucking wild. From fucking canceled to that,” he said at the end of the stream.
The streamer’s Operator bundle has yet to be brought back to Call of Duty. “It’s like I went up there and did a speech. Lots of people showing their true colors,” he said.
It now looks like Nickmercs is back on his regular streaming schedule.