Controversy over Call of Duty’s removal of “NickMercs” skin from game

Call of Duty removes “NickMercs” skin following FaZe Clan star’s LGBTQ tweet

The video game industry has once again faced a reputational risk as Call of Duty recently removed a skin based on Nicholas “NickMercs” Kolcheff, a popular Warzone streamer and co-owner of the FaZe Clan, an esports organization. The move was made after controversy emerged stemming from a tweet Kolcheff made regarding an LGBTQ protest, and other esports developers, players, coaches, and commentators condemned his statement.

Controversy over Tweet

What sparked the controversy was a tweet Kolcheff made in response to a report of a clash between pro- and anti-LGBTQ protestors outside a school board meeting in California. He wrote, “They should leave little children alone. That’s the real issue.” Kolcheff intended his statement to focus on his belief that school was “no place to speak about things like that” and was not meant to disparage anyone’s personal sexuality or gender identity. However, his statement drew widespread criticism from others in the industry.

Reputational Risk for Gaming Companies

The removal of Kolcheff’s in-game skin highlights the reputational risk that gaming companies can face when promotions are based on real-life gaming personalities. This is not the first instance where a game company had to take action against a real-life personality linked to their game in some way. Twitch removed the popular PogChamp emote from its service, associated with Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez, after he “encouraged further violence after what took place in the Capitol” during the January 6 riots. Blizzard quietly removed a World of Warcraft NPC named after popular streamer Swifty after allegations of harassment came out against him. And in 2021, the Overwatch League made significant changes to an “MVP Zayra” skin and offered refunds to players after 2019 league MVP Jay “Sinatraa” Won was accused of assault.

Phiolosophical Discussion

While video game companies, like any other company, are expected to handle controversies like these in the best way possible, the issue raises important philosophical questions. It is difficult to balance the need to celebrate and work with real-life personalities and the potential problems that can arise when these personalities make statements that do not align with the company’s image or the morality of the majority of its customers. Games like Call of Duty, with their vast and widely diverse player base, need to be careful with the personalities they associate with, especially in today’s society, with social media trends that can pick up on every little thing personalities say and do.

Advice

Game companies need to be more mindful of the personalities they promote and ensure that their actions align with the company’s values and image. They should also work on creating policies to manage risks and quickly handle any future controversies that arise. Finally, personalities should also be more careful with their statements, as they have a considerable impact on the company’s image and customer base. In today’s world, public figures need to be on the lookout for their statements’ possible consequences and consider whether their statements align with the values and morals of those they want to identify with.