NICKMERCS: How Recent Controversy Became a Twitter Triumph

NICKMERCS, the renowned streamer, despite being embroiled in recent controversy, has witnessed his Twitter fan base balloon impressively, and that’s not the only area he’s been gaining ground in. The storm started when a tweet from NICKMERCS, touching on LGBTQIA+ supporters and children, caused a stir, resulting in the removal of his Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 operator bundle from the in-game store. Yet, hordes of fans are now rallying to his Twitter account in solidarity.

How NICKMERCS Turned a Twitter Controversy Into a Success Story

Famous for his prolific streaming of shooter games on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, NICKMERCS has honed his sights mainly on Call of Duty: Warzone and its sequel since their launch. The NICKMERCS bundle, first introduced in Call of Duty’s Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 on May 31st, didn’t have a long lifespan. An ensuing social media uproar after a June 7th tweet from NICKMERCS, referencing a school protest during Pride Month, led to Activision yanking his Call of Duty Operator bundle off the store the following day.

NICKMERCS has seen a dramatic increase in Twitter followers amid the controversy over his Pride tweet pic.twitter.com/lsESP96XSq

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 12, 2023

Since the storm ignited by his contentious tweet, NICKMERCS has come forward to clarify his intentions, stating that he had “no intentions to upset anyone.” While the loss of his Call of Duty operator bundle is undoubtedly a blow to his career as a content creator, the silver lining is a whopping addition of 51,000 followers to his Twitter account, mostly since Thursday. This substantial surge in followers, taking his tally to over 2.1 million, might be traced back to the initial controversy and Activision’s ensuing action, both gaining traction on the social media platform.

Social Media Boom: A Silver Lining in the Cloud of Controversy

Besides his Twitter profile seeing action, NICKMERCS’ YouTube account has also witnessed a surge of 20,000 subscribers in the last 30 days – quite a jump when his usual tally might be 10,000 or less. He’s not just bagging followers; he’s also earned support from famed YouTube creators like Dr Disrespect, who uninstalled Call of Duty in solidarity, and TimTheTatman, who demanded his bundle also be scrapped from the store. As fans swarm to NICKMERCS’ Twitter and YouTube accounts, his Twitch platform hasn’t seen a similar surge, indicating a preference for other platforms among his supporters.

Streamers who get their own skins in video games like COD are known to earn a cut from their sales, so it’s likely NICKMERCS has taken a financial knock from this, even while his social media profiles benefit. With Activision keeping a lid on the duration of NICKMERCS operator bundle’s removal from Call of Duty, the question remains: is this removal a temporary measure, or is the bundle gone for good?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now for Windows PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.