Recently, it took the internet by storm when Twitch streamer TimTheTatman called out Activision for releasing an in-game skin of fellow Twitch streamer Nickmercs without his permission. Nickmercs, whose real name is Nicholas Kolcheff, is a former professional e-sports player and also an incredibly popular twitch streamer with over 4.9 million followers.
Nickmercs’ fans and fellow streamers, including TimTheTatman, quickly lashed out against the in-game representation of him. A large number of Nickmercs’ fans called for Activision to immediately remove the skin from their popular battle game, Call of Duty: Warzone. This move was viewed as the company attempting to capitalize off of Nickmercs’ popularity without his permission.
TimTheTatman, who has more than 6 million followers on Twitch, jumped to the defense of his friend and called on Activision to remove the skin. Many other Twitch streamers, including Myth, chocoTaco, and CouRageJD, were quick to echo the call in solidarity with Nickmercs.
The show of solidarity by these popular streamers was seen as the community coming together to support Nickmercs. TimTheTatman has also said that he would return any payment that Activision may have given him for the use of his likeness in the game.
Soon, Activision responded and said that they have removed the character from their game and apologized for the incident. This quick decision by the company was met with appreciation from Nickmercs and his fans, who thanked TimTheTatman and the other streamers for showing their support.
In the end, it was a testament to the power of community and solidarity. The story of TimTheTatman and his fellow streamers standing by Nickmercs shows that even in the digital world, old values still prevail.