Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Removes TimTheTatman Bundle
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 removed YouTube streamer Timothy "TimTheTatman" Betar's skin bundle. Announced just last May, Modern Warfare 2 unveiled a collaboration with streamers TimTheTatman and NICKMERCS, which included Operator and gun skins.
On June 7, NICKMERCS reacted to a video showing anti-LGBT protestors attacking pro-LGBT demonstrators outside a school board meeting, saying that LGBT supporters should "leave the children alone." He received backlash for his comment as people accused him of being homophobic and supporting anti-LGBT violence. He also released a statement addressing the controversy, emphasizing that he won't apologize for his choice of words. Shortly after, Call of Duty removed the NICKMERCS skin bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores, stating that its "focused on celebrating Pride with our employees and our community."
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TimTheTatman, who is friends with NICKMERCS, later requested for his Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 skin bundle to be removed in support of his friend. He said that it "felt wrong" for his bundle to still be in the game while NICKMERCS' bundle was gone. Following this, an Activision representative said in a statement that it's pulled the TimTheTatman bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone stores.
The reactions to the news have been mixed. Many people thought it was a good move, saying that Call of Duty should not have skins with streamers with problematic views. On the other hand, there were also some fans who were demanding Activision to apologize to NICKMERCS. Likewise, TimTheTatman's fans commended him for the move, while criticizing cancel culture and claiming that Call of Duty overreacted by removing NICKMERCS' bundle. Even YouTube streamer Dr Disrespect uninstalled Modern Warfare 2 in support of NICKMERCS.
The removal of TimTheTatman and NICKMERCS' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 skin bundles have now sparked discussions within the gaming community on how this will change creator collaborations down the line. Many popular video games, like Fortnite and Fall Guys, have worked with popular streamers to create unique skins that fans could enjoy in-game. However, there had been past cases where the creators would have an issue with the collaboration, like Apex Legends misspelling LuLuLuvely's name in her exclusive gun skin.
It might be too early to say how the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 controversy will affect how other video game companies will approach creator collaborations. It could potentially signal the end of such collaborations, or encourage companies to be more discerning of the people they want to work with.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Source: GameRant
