DrDisrespect Fights Hasan Piker As Activision’s Call of Duty Doubles Down

The pressure on Activision’s Call Of Duty is starting to mount as fans push back after popular streamer Nickmercs lost his skin pack due to LGBTQ-related comments. Activision is amid a heated online debate as fans are unhappy with the company’s recent decisions. While commenting on an LGBTQ-related protest, Twitch streamer Nickmercs states these issues should be left to parents to discuss with their children. As predicted, the reactions to these comments were swift and harsh. Call Of Duty took immediate action, stating that they had removed all Nickmercs-related content from their online shop.

Media companies were equally quick to label him a horrible person and start their smear campaign. Despite this, Nick remained steady with his beliefs, reiterating his points on stream. He clarified that he holds no hate in his heart for any community. However, he also made it clear that he should be the one to teach his child about specific issues. As a parent, he believes it is a responsibility that falls on his shoulders alone. Many did not agree with Nick on this issue, and thus, the internet divide began. Despite some online disagreement, many stand firmly behind the Call Of Duty streamer.

His fellow content creators, Dr. Disrespect and TimTheTatman, publicly showed their support. Tim requested that they remove his skins from the online store, and the Doc clarified that he was done with Call Of Duty for now. Since then, many more have supported them, stating they will not return to the game. Whether this will have an impact on Activision is uncertain.

Activision’s Call Of Duty Doubles Down

Although the backlash against Call Of Duty and Activision has been fierce, they have decided to ban Nickmercs from their store. Not only did they remove all of his skins, but they also recently doubled down further. Nick was scheduled to be part of the kick-off to the current Call Of Duty tournament. He is one of the streamers paid by Activision to stream their event. However, due to his comments, he is now removed from all promotional material and no longer part of the list of streamers streaming the tournament.

It is unclear whether Nick asked the company to be removed from the event or if he was released. Logic would suggest that he was removed due to his comments. If they removed his skins, they also removed his name from the streamer list. Fellow content creator TimTheTatman is also no longer part of the event. However, his absence might also be due to his recent request to be removed from the Activision store. Tim made it clear that he was protesting against their decision to remove his friend from the store.

Right now, Call of Duty will push forward. They believe that most of this backlash will blow over. The truth is that they are likely correct. Most people move on from these issues very quickly. Although people rapidly point to Bud Light, who continues to fall, this won’t happen for Call Of Duty. Firstly, they do not need controversy to fall. They have been in a spiral for years now.

The Boycott Aftermath

However, we do know that people are quick to forget. The majority of people do not live their lives online. It might feel that the whole world is on Twitter, but they are not. Most people are unaware of this situation and want to play the game. They will ignore all headlines and do whatever they want, unaware of what is happening behind the scenes with the games they are playing. We know this to be true because Call Of Duty survived much worse than this. We all know that Activision Blizzard does not have the best reputation.

They have been accused of horrible things in the past. They were involved in a massive investigation. The discoveries from this investigation are genuinely jaw-dropping. Despite all of this, they continue to push through. Their games are still top-rated and continue to make billions every year. There is no reason to believe that this situation will slow them down. However, minor controversies do add up. It might not be one thing that causes your downfall, but over time, people will move on. We have seen bigger games than Call Of Duty meets their end in the past.

Although the conversation around this topic is still robust, interest is starting to dwindle. Those who decided to boycott the game are already gone. Those who have yet to take action won’t do so anyway. Many believe that gaming companies should be non-political. Although some games cover social or political topics, companies should focus on development. Conversely, you have those who believe that companies can express any opinion, and it is up to the consumer to decide if they want to support it.

The Predictable Media Response

With all of this controversy, the media response is predictable. They could not wait to jump on Nickmercs and label him with every nasty name in the book. Publications from all over the internet were salivating at the mouths at the idea that they might be able to bring a popular figure in the gaming space down. By this point, we also know who the guilty publications are running these smear campaigns. I do not need to mention them or want to give them additional attention. I considered linking to them, but they do not deserve the clicks.

You also had a few content creators who were very aggressive against Nick. One such content creator was popular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. Not only did he speak out against Nick, but he also had a few choice words for Dr. Disrespect. He stated in a livestream that Doc had more loyalty towards his friend than his wife. This is a comment that both Nickmercs and Dr. Disrespect could have taken better. The Doc stated that Mr. Piker would never say anything like this to his face. Nick said that he was now dead to him.

Many fans also did not take these comments from Hasan very well. It feels like a cheap shot from a person who builds a brand on rehabilitation. You cannot preach forgiveness and state you want people to grow but also use their past against them when you disagree. Since you do not know their relationship, it is best not to comment. If you disagree, keep it within the agreement.

Conclusion

There are many more examples of people trying to take cheap shots. You do not have to agree with what Nickmercs are saying. Many believe that there is a place in school for this topic. Discussing the existence of gay people will not turn your child gay, just like discussing slavery will not turn your child racist. Children learn about abuse, wars, and antisemitism in schools. If you are okay with those teachings, then you should be okay with LGBTQ issues as well.

Some are pushing back against this, stating that those types of history lessons only take place when children are much older, often in high school when they are teenagers. People are pushing for LGBTQ issues to be taught much younger. People are also concerned about what children hear in school. A history lesson will have little effect on a child. Gender issues might have an impact if people do not teach it correctly. Ultimately. LGBTQ people exist and have a right to live without discrimination. However, parents deserve the right to teach their children at their own pace.

There is currently no curriculum that exists for these issues. Thus, it is hard to navigate when a child is ready to hear them. Hopefully, we can figure that out and build toward a more tolerable existence where gay people can exist and parents have the right to teach their children.