‘It’s all advertisement’: NICKMERCS explains why he’s not excited about Warzone 2, possible ranked mode

Nick is much more eager to play Apex Legends.

Streamer NICKMERCS in his gaming studio.
Screengrab via NICKMERCS

NICKMERCS is one of the more popular streamers on Twitch, and for most of his career, he has found success playing Call of Duty games, including Warzone.

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In August 2021, however, Nick swore off Warzone, which he said was in a “bad spot” and something he didn’t enjoy anymore. More than nine months have passed since then, but Nick is still reluctant to return to the game or the Warzone sequel that is supposed to arrive later in the year. Even if the game has a ranked mode, he doesn’t seem too eager to put a lot of time into it, especially with how much he likes Apex Legends.

“I’m getting this question a lot… ‘Yo Nick, if the new Warzone has a ranked mode, are you going to grind it?’… I really don’t know, I can’t tell you,” Nick said. “It can have a ranked mode, but it can be horrible, right? It can have a ranked mode and it could be good, but it could not be as good as Apex. I just can’t predict it. I have no idea.”

Part of Nick’s hesitation to commit to Warzone 2 seemed to be rooted in his view that companies like Activision can’t develop something “great” anymore.

“These fucking companies—they rarely do something great,” Nick said. “These old companies don’t do anything great anymore. It’s a rarity, bro. More often than not, they fuck shit up. It’s all about advertisement. They hype it up… and then it comes out and it’s just so bland more often than not.”

Despite EA, the parent company of Apex developer Respawn, being older than Activision Blizzard, Nick heaped glowing praise on Apex. He said that he thinks that the game continues to get better and that Storm Point, the newest map, is “one of the best battle royale maps [he has] ever played.”

If Nick holds off on returning to Call of Duty until Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2 come out, that would mean fans are about five months away from witnessing his return. Modern Warfare II is set to release on Oct. 28.

Author
Image of Preston Byers
Preston Byers
Dot Esports associate editor. Co-host of the Ego Chall Podcast. Since discovering esports through the 2013 Call of Duty Championship, Preston has pursued a career in esports and gaming. He graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2021.