Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 removed the YouTuber Timothy ‘TimTheTatman’ Betar skin pack. Just announced last May, Modern Warfare 2 revealed a collaboration with streamer TimTheTatman and NICKMERCS, which includes commander and gun skins.
On June 7, NICKMERCS reacted to a video showing anti-LGBT protesters attacking pro-LGBT demonstrators outside a school board meeting, saying LGBT supporters should “keep the kids quiet.” His comments were met with backlash as people accused him of being homophobic and supporting anti-LGBT violence. He also issued a statement addressing the controversy, stressing that he would not apologize for his words. Shortly after, Call of Duty removed the NICKMERCS skin pack from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores, saying it was “focused on celebrating pride with our staff and community.”
TimTheTatman is a friend of NICKMERCS and later asked to remove his Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 skin pack in favor of his friend. He said it “felt wrong” that his bundle was still in the game when the NICKMERCS bundle disappeared. Following this, an Activision representative said in a statement that it had removed the TimTheTatman bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores.
Reactions to the news were mixed. A lot of people thought it was a good move, saying Call of Duty shouldn’t have skins for streamers with problematic views. On the other hand, some fans demanded that Activision apologize to NICKMERCS. Likewise, fans of TimTheTatman praised his move while criticizing cancel culture and claiming Call of Duty’s removal of the NICKMERCS bundle was an overreaction. Even YouTuber Dr Disrespect uninstalled Modern Warfare 2 in favor of NICKMERCS.
The removal of TimTheTatman and NICKMERCS’ Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 skin pack has now sparked discussion within the gaming community about how this will change creator collaboration. Many popular video games, such as Fortnite and Fall Guys, have partnered with popular streamers to create unique skins that fans can enjoy in-game. However, there have been cases in the past where creators had issues with collaborations, such as when Apex Legends misspelled LuLuLuvely’s name in her exclusive gun skin.
It’s probably too early to say how the Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 controversy will affect the way other video game companies handle creator collaborations. It could signal the end of such collaborations, or encourage companies to be more selective about who they want to work with.
Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.