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NICKMERCS Returned To Fortnite, Here’s How It Went

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NICKMERCS Returned To Fortnite, Here’s How It Went

Nickmercs stepped foot on the Fortnite Battle Bus for the first time in a long time.

Twitch streamer Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff is arguably the most popular personality on the platform today. He achieved such success with a mixture of impressive gameplay and his likable character. Nick's career took off during the prime of the Epic Games-developed Fortnite: Battle Royale.

The 29-year-old spent the last three years playing solely Fortnite, in front of thousands upon thousands of viewers. In March, he moved on from Fortnite to dominate viewership on Call of Duty: Warzone, the franchise's latest Battle Royale rendition.

Since then, Nickmercs has done everything in Warzone, from collaborating with fellow streamers Dennis “Cloakzy” Lepore and Tim “TimTheTatman” Betar to winning tournaments for thousands of dollars. It all came at the cost of his Fortnite career, which he seemingly ended after picking up Warzone. Nick returned to Fortnite briefly for a Tilted Towers tournament hosted by his good friend, Ali “SypherPK” Hassan. Although he enjoyed it, Nickmercs went back to Warzone and left Fortnite behind him. This past weekend, the FaZe Clan content creator and competitor teased a return to Fortnite, stating how much he missed playing.

Nick fired up Fortnite this evening after a long run on Warzone with fellow FaZe member Swagg. Afterward, Nick joined his long-time friend SypherPK on Fortnite, giving his audience a blast from the past.

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Shaking off the rust

The former Fortnite player re-entered Fortnite with an Arena Solo match, which he won. He admitted that he was a bit rusty but enjoyed his first game, where he managed several eliminations. Nickmercs joined SypherPK shortly after, and the two played Arena Duos for hours. It's been four long seasons since Nickmercs last saw action in Fortnite. He struggled mechanically, taking fall damage quite a few times as he shook off the rust.

It took some time for Nickmercs to warm up, but he improved with each passing game. “I am in,” the FaZe Clan member said at one point to his chat. “I didn't think it would be like this.” He genuinely seemed to enjoy his time playing Arena Mode with an old friend. Nickmercs appreciated one of this season's new points of interest (POI) this season, Stark Industries. A former Tilted Towers loyalist, Nickmercs loved the chaos of the Iron Man-themed drop spot and the vault located within.

He repeatedly admitted that he forgot how much he loved Fortnite and that the hours went by fast while playing. For the most-part, Nickmercs' following, dubbed the MFAM, accepted his decision to play Fortnite. He hovered around 50K viewers during that portion of his stream. He and Sypher got the full Fortnite experience, encountering stream snipers both friendly and malicious. The highlight may have been when two friendly stream snipers built a “Welcome Back” structure for Nickmercs.

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Stream highlights

SypherPK remains a passionate and dedicated Fortnite player several years into its release. Because of this, Nick and Sypher sent waves of players back to the lobby. The rust was there for Nick, but that did not deter him from putting in the work. He and Sypher dropped 20 combined eliminations multiple times, not too shabby for the two seasoned veterans. Nickmercs even clutched a one versus two situation to earn a Victory Royale. It was a return to form of sorts for the popular Twitch streamer.

Nickmercs controller analysis and Pro appreciation

During the stream, Nickmercs fielded multiple questions about Fortnite from a competitive perspective. He paid tribute to top controller players Scoped and Reet for their talent level despite the recent aim assist nerf. Nick made a career for himself, slaying with a controller, particularly during Fortnite's infancy. He undoubtedly has respect for players who still represent the controller gang. He did admit that his aim assist felt strong, despite the recent nerfs. Nick even campaigned pro player Co1azo for paid lessons.

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Fortnite Competitive Nickmercs is back

SypherPK mentioned that next season's flagship Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) event might return to a duos format. Nickmercs did not elaborate on whether he will compete or not during the broadcast but seemed interested when Sypher stated that he has no teammate at the moment. Nick furthered this statement at the end of his stream, “Is it really duo FNCS?” He asked. “Of course it is,” he answered. Shortly after the stream, Nick confirmed that he would compete again. “Had so much fun playing Fortnite today, felt just like old times. More to come, FNCS, all that, lock me in. Appreciate the love today,” he said.

A huge win for Fortnite

Nick's return to Fortnite was a win for the entire community, one that he was once a pillar within. After his break from Warzone, Nick had more fun playing Fortnite than anyone, including himself, expected. We will now see the 29-year-old split time between Warzone and Fortnite on his daily streams. He confirmed as much while he closed out his 11-hour marathon in front of his faithful followers. It sure will be fun to soak in some Nickmercs Fortnite content while we can. The Fortnite scene has missed the original controller king.

Stay tuned to ESTNN for more Fortnite news and updates!

Feature Image: FaZe Clan

Avatar of Matt Pryor
Matt Pryor
Matt is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University. He appreciates all esports titles but primarily focuses on Fortnite and Call of Duty. Matt continuously analyzes gameplay and plays the games himself to better understand in-game decisions by the best players in the world.