The Call of Duty scene recently witnessed an unexpected twist when the Nickmercs operator skin briefly resurfaced in Black Ops 6 and Warzone stores towards the end of March 2025. This was a surprise, considering it had been banned almost two years prior. The sudden reappearance seemed to be due to a glitch, confusing many in the community. Although it popped up in the store for some players, those who tried to purchase it faced a roadblock, unable to complete the transaction.
The backstory here begins in mid-May 2023, when Activision introduced skins for popular streamers Nickmercs and TimTheTatman. However, controversy arose shortly after when Nickmercs, known off-screen as Nicholas Kolcheff, made a comment on a video involving violence against LGBT activists. His remark, “they should leave little children alone,” during a heated school board debate over Pride Month, drew significant criticism online for seemingly encouraging anti-LGBT sentiments. In response, Activision swiftly removed Nickmercs’ operator skin from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone digital shops. In solidarity, TimTheTatman asked for his bundle’s removal as well, which Activision carried out promptly.
Fast forward to two years later, and news of the banned Nickmercs skin sneaking back into the store broke, captured in gameplay footage by YouTuber ItsHapa. The footage, cited in a ComicBook report, showed the bundle available in Warzone, brought to ItsHapa’s attention by one of his viewers.
Despite this surprising comeback, only a handful of players reported seeing the skin, and even fewer successfully interacted with it. The few who did try to make a purchase were met with an error, leaving them empty-handed. As of now, Activision hasn’t made any public comments regarding this glitch. Reports dwindled by March 24, suggesting a fix might already have been implemented.
As for whether Activision would officially bring back Nickmercs’ skin, the chances appear slim. A relaunch would mark a first for the publisher, particularly since it’s now under the wing of Microsoft. Nonetheless, the skin wasn’t entirely wiped out initially—it was merely withdrawn from store listings, allowing those who bought it before its removal to continue using it in online matches.
