What is the key to becoming a successful streamer? Nickmercs has it all, whether it’s gaming skills, and entertaining personality, a willingness to grind, or just plain luck. NickMercs is now one of Twitch’s most well-known streamers. He’s a key member of FaZe Clan and a co-owner, and he’s landed sponsorship deals with the NFL and Under Armour. NickMercs embodies competitive gaming’s mainstreaming in a positive way, and he can handle the banter of a late-night talk show host while winning an Apex Legends match.
It wasn’t always like this. NickMercs was a teen gamer who first discovered competitive play through the Gears of War series years ago. He never imagined gaming could become a stable career, or that millions of people would turn out to watch him land headshot after headshot while smiling. He simply kept playing and giving everything he had to every game and stream. NickMercs has evolved from a gamer to a streaming sensation.
NickMercs’ family encouraged him to be an athlete long before he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated — they just didn’t consider competitive gaming to be a real sport. While it irritated him at the time, he now understands where they were coming from.
They also had reason to believe that NickMercs’ energy would be better channeled into a traditional sport. His father played college baseball and later became a coach. His brother wrestled in college, and three of his cousins went on to play in the NFL. The majority of NickMercs’ family couldn’t understand why he preferred to grind away at video games instead of running on the field.
He said that he’s like the black sheep. Now that he’s established a successful career as a professional gamer and graced the cover of one of the world’s most prestigious sports magazines, his family appears to be warming up to him.
NickMercs has a long history in competitive gaming, which predates his time as a streamer. When “Gears of War” first came out, he discovered the thrill of dominating online. His life was forever changed when he first began playing competitive matches. He discovered that he not only enjoyed the game, but that he was also an exceptional player, and he spent years honing his skills.
NickMercs and some of his friends dove headfirst into the competitive scene when “Gears of War 2” was released.
They played matches every day, and they were usually victorious. Their team eventually began competing in LAN tournaments across the country, earning enough money to cover their travel expenses but not enough to change their lives.
NickMercs put gaming on hold when he graduated high school and went to college. He’d already caught the bug, even though it would take him years to truly return to the scene.
He enrolled in a community college but found that going to the gym and watching videos online was more appealing than attending classes. He considered becoming a cop for a short time before deciding to aim even higher. He eventually decided to become a Navy SEAL, which required him to abandon school, his family, and gaming.
That didn’t stop him from trying again and again, but the underwater exercises caused him to pass out several times. The Navy let him work as a janitor on base for a while, but NickMercs was thrown back into the real world with more questions than ever about his future.
NickMercs returned to college after his dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL were dashed, but he lacked the passion he had before. He quickly returned to gaming, and after some advice from friends, he decided to try streaming.
Everything seemed to fall into place overnight. NickMercs did everything right when it came to growing his fan base, but he wasn’t afraid to take risks. He joined the 100 Thieves esports organization in the hopes of raising his profile and gaining some much-needed streaming partners. At the same time, rather than chasing the current hot game, he chose to focus on his own enjoyment while streaming.
NickMercs lost more than half of his subscribers when he started playing “Fortnite” instead of “Call of Duty” gameplay. Despite the setback, NickMercs persisted, and in the end, his channel benefited from the decision.
For years, NickMercs was a member of 100 Thieves, helping to raise his own profile while also increasing team engagement. Then, in 2019, he abruptly announced his departure from 100 Thieves, shocking his fans and followers. NickMercs shared another big piece of news just a few days after making the announcement: he had joined FaZe Clan.
Fans were baffled by the decision at first, but NickMercs was forthright about his reasoning. He talked about how Nadeshot, the owner of 100 Thieves, allegedly broke promises to him on his stream, and it’s clear that his new team and he are getting along swimmingly.
NickMercs became a part-owner of FaZe Clan just over two years after joining the team. The gamer now has more influence over the team’s direction and more control over his own role.
Even for someone like NickMercs, life isn’t all matchmaking lobbies and headshots. He married his longtime girlfriend in October 2020, marking a significant milestone in his personal life. The two of them met when NickMercs was just 12 years old, and she’s been there ever since. NickMercs relied on her advice to get him through his early college years when he was trying to find his way.
NickMercs’ wife has been in his life for nearly two decades, but his streaming audience knows very little about her. NickMercs has had her appear on his stream before, but he has worked hard to keep his personal life separate from his streaming life. His wife’s nickname is “Emumita Bonita,” but that isn’t her real name. He came up with the nickname for her. Streamers don’t always get much privacy — some have even leaked personal information on stream — but NickMercs’ fans have been generally respectful and have allowed the couple to keep their relationship as private as possible.
Streaming can lead to new opportunities outside of gaming, as NickMercs has discovered. He got the chance to work with some big-name sponsors after becoming famous as a streamer. NickMercs got his first chance to work with the NFL when Twitch began streaming Thursday Night Football. In 2019, he agreed to appear at the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee. The NFL brought NickMercs back in 2021 to help create some promotional material after that partnership was so successful.
NickMercs has been expanding its merchandising capabilities. In late 2021, he signed a sponsorship deal with Under Armour. He began wearing Under Armour in his streams, and the company even made some custom items for him as part of the deal. Under Armour also provided NickMercs with access to the UA Human Performance Team, which assists the company’s elite athletes in their training. The partnership between NickMercs and the company is still in its early stages, but there will undoubtedly be more collaborative projects in the future.
NickMercs appears to have nothing to complain about from the outside. He’s married to the woman of his dreams, has a thriving streaming career, and collaborates with some of the world’s most prestigious athletic brands. All success, however, comes with a price, and NickMercs has learned firsthand that being a popular streamer has its drawbacks.
NickMercs recently spoke out about the extreme and often dangerous harassment he receives online from strangers.
Swatting occurs when someone makes a false police report in order to have a swat team sent to someone else’s home. NickMercs admitted that he had to call the cops himself to get some repeat harassers to stop bothering him.
Fans had been wondering why NickMercs didn’t stream with his wife more frequently, and his honest response was that he didn’t want to expose her to some of the people he’d met online.
Streaming is a dream come true for NickMercs, but like anything else, it isn’t without flaws.
With all of the pressure and scrutiny that streaming brings, it’s no surprise that some streamers have expressed a desire to stop. . With the harassment NickMercs has received from Twitch’s most toxic viewers, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn he’s contemplating retirement as well, but fortunately for his fans, this isn’t the case. He’s not only dedicated to streaming, but also to the platform that has aided him in his success.
Twitch used to be the only place where streamers could meet and interact with their fans, but YouTube and Facebook have been hard at work developing competing platforms. The Hollywood Reporter reported in early October 2021 that neither of Twitch’s top competitors has pulled NickMercs away.
After signing a new exclusive deal with Twitch, he plans to stay at home for the foreseeable future. The terms of NickMercs’ deal with the platform were kept under wraps, but he joined other well-known streamers like Pokimane in remaining loyal to the platform that launched their careers.
