Call of Duty, a popular videogame, is now facing a potential boycott after its parent company Activision removed in-game features, which were added in collaboration with YouTube and Twitch streamer, Nick Kolcheff, after he made comments suggesting that LGBT activists “leave little children alone.”
Kolcheff, who recently partnered with Call of Duty to promote an influencer in-game operator bundle, was canceled by the company after replying to a video on Twitter which displayed pro and anti-LGBT protestors clashing outside a Los Angeles school.
Better known as “Nickmercs,” Nich Kolcheff is a well know Warzone and Fortnite streamer within the gaming community. He had his promotional Call of Duty partnership canceled from Call of Duty’s Modern Warfare II reboot after criticizing violent pride activists at his local LAUSD school district.
The protest culminated in a massive brawl, as the activists would not back down on the outraged parents. As a new father, Kolcheff took to social media to condemn the progressive activists, stating “They should leave children alone. That’s the real issue.”
For denouncing the sick behavior of the activists, Infinity Ward and Activision took immediate action against Kolcheff. They removed his streamer bundle from the gaming platforms, and issued a statement expressing their dedication to pride month.
“Due to recent events, we have removed the ‘NICKMERCS Operator’ bundle from the Modern Warfare II and Warzone store,” the company wrote on Twitter. “We are focused on celebrating PRIDE with our employees and our community.”
Surprisingly, several popular streamers and gamers came to Kolcheff’s defense. Notably, Herschel “Guy” Beahm IV who goes by the moniker “Dr. Disrespect,” who is one of the most popular streamers on the internet, said that he has uninstalled Call of Duty and refuses to play it again until the parent company issues an apology to Kolcheff.
Kolcheff’s fellow content creator Timothy John Betar known as “TimTheTatman,” after a brief hesitation to stand by his friend, eventually decided to stand by Kolcheff’s comments. Betar told Activision and Call of Duty to remove his operator bundle as well in support of Kolcheff. Betar faced some backlash from his followers after taking this stance.
“I used to really like Tim [Betar]. You hate to see more bigots reveal themselves. But f**k bigots,” one Twitter user wrote. “Nickmercs is over here spouting ridiculous ‘leave kids alone’ conservative rhetoric as if it makes any f**king sense. Seeing the amount of people side with him is genuinely scary.”
Alex Zedra, another streamer who has a Call of Duty operator bundel, also attacked the company for dropping Nick. Zedra responded to Call of Duty’s statement, “No wonder CoD is the worst it’s ever been. Dumb as f**k.”
In the aftermath, Kolcheff made statement highlighting his role as a new father, which has made him more alarmed by the predatory forces at work trying to corrupt children. “Friends are created in good times, but families are built through adversity,” the statement began. “Appreciate all of you that have my back, understand my position as a new father & recognize the love I have for all. Ain’t no hate in this heart.” As expected, many progressives harshly condemned him for his statements.
Several popular streamers seem to be linking arms on this issue, which could spell trouble for Call of Duty and its parent company Activision. Conservative boycotts have recently caused Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, and Target to reverse course on radical LGBTQ activism after losing billons in market capital.
