Everything You Need To Know About NICKMERCS

Who is NICKMERCS?

Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff is one of the most prominent streamers and content creators on Twitch and YouTube. After getting his start as a Gears of War pro—and winning three Major League Gaming championships—he dabbled in competitive Halo before transitioning to a career as a Call of Duty streamer. As an all-around first-person shooter expert, he currently focuses on Fortnite, and he has held a number of Fortnite world records throughout the game’s competitive lifespan.

Here's everything else you need to know about NICKMERCS:

Table of Contents:
History and Career
Gaming and Streaming Setup
Fortnite and Call of Duty Settings
Teams
Sponsors and Partners
Merch
Awards
Trivia and Fun Facts
FAQs
Social Media Profiles

History and Career

At 29 years old, NICKMERCS is a bit of an old-school gamer—old-school enough that the concept of professional gaming was more or less unheard-of when he began his career. During his childhood in Michigan, his parents disapproved of his interest in gaming, even going as far as to destroy his Xbox on one occasion. With the support of his rapidly growing fanbase on Twitch (then known as justin.tv), he powered through this adversity, partnering with subscribers Gauge “xAmpz” Brown and Hayden “Nio” Eller to form a powerful and charismatic Call of Duty squad.

In 2016, as NICKMERCS’ star continued to rise, he became a founding member of the newly formed 100 Thieves. In 2017, he moved to California, the location of the organization’s headquarters. When Fortnite came out later that year, NICKMERCS soon became a masterful player in the game’s Battle Royale mode, with his stream blossoming in popularity as the game gained prominence. His loyal group of fans quickly became known as the MFAM: M for MERCS, FAM for family. The MFAM has also lent its name to one of NICKMERCS’ most heartfelt efforts: the MFAM Project, a charity stream dedicated to raising funds for the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research.

His career took another turn in 2019, when a dispute over the terms of his contract led NICKMERCS to part ways with 100 Thieves and move back home to Michigan. But this was hardly a roadblock for the experienced streamer: shortly after his move, he announced that he had joined FaZe Clan. Just over a month later, he celebrated one of the most important moments in his life alongside his fans, proposing to his girlfriend (known to fans as “Emumita Bonita,” or Emu) during a live Twitch stream.

Nowadays, NICKMERCS is one of FaZe Clan’s marquee streamers, entertaining millions of fans on a regular basis with his high-level gameplay and devastating wit. It’s unclear what the future holds for NICKMERCS—but he’s in this for the long haul, streaming and creating YouTube content for the MFAM day-in and day-out.

Gaming and Streaming Setup

In December 2019, NICKMERCS upgraded and refurbished his gaming room to create the “ultimate gaming studio.” When you look at the specs, it’s hard to disagree. The room has four gaming setups, each loaded with an Xbox, a PlayStation, and an Intel CORE i9-9900K CPU enshrined in a custom H510 Elite NZXT case, powered by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card, and hooked up to an AlienWare AW2518H monitor. Each console is paired with a SCUF controller, NICKMERCS’ preferred brand.

To stream, NICKMERCS uses an Astro Gaming A40 headset and a Logitech Brio webcam. His studio is also decked out with multiple cameras to allow viewers to view the room from several vantage points.

Check out this video for a detailed tour of NICKMERCS’ gaming studio and the story behind its creation: 

Settings

Fortnite Settings and Keybinds

General Game Settings:

Build Controls:

Combat Controls:

Edit Controls:

Call of Duty Settings and Keybinds

General Game Settings:

Controls:

Teams

NICKMERCS has been part of three esports teams during his career. His first team was Team EnVyUs (the organization now known as Team Envy). He competed under the EnvyUs banner during his original stint as a Gears of War pro.

In May 2016, NICKMERCS joined his second team, 100 Thieves, as a founding member, streamer, and content creator. He parted ways with 100 Thieves following a dispute with the team’s leadership in May 2019. 

Later that month, NICKMERCS signed with his third and current team, FaZe Clan. His signing came on the ninth anniversary of FaZe Clan’s formation, a day known to many as “FaZe Day.” NICKMERCS remains one of the most prominent streamers on FaZe Clan’s roster. In fact, NICKMERCS and FaZe Clan announced on September 23, 2020, that they signed a three-year extension.

Sponsors and Partners

NICKMERCS is partnered with several well-known companies and brands, including:

G FUEL - G FUEL announced its partnership with NICKMERCS on April 22, 2020. His team, FaZe Clan, is also partnered with G FUEL. Shop NICKMERCS favorite G FUEL here!

SCUF - As a SCUF partner, NICKMERCS often speaks about his love of the controller company’s products—even before scoring the sponsorship, the streamer regularly used SCUF controllers. “SCUF controllers, for me, give me the ability to keep my thumbs on the joysticks while I do everything that I need to do.”

NZXT - NICKMERCS is partnered with NZXT, which produced the custom cases used for every gaming PC in his studio. The streamer is a natural fit for NZXT: the company’s core values include passion, courage, and the fostering of community, all values that are important to NICKMERCS and the MFAM.

Merch

NICKMERCS releases limited runs of merchandise every so often—they typically sell out within 24 hours. At the moment, there aren’t any stores or websites selling official NICKMERCS merch, but you can find merchandise for his team, FaZe Clan, on their website. Additionally, SCUF offers MFAM edition controllers in their online store. 

Awards

As a world-famous streamer, NICKMERCS has been nominated for his share of awards.

In January 2020, he was nominated for “Twitch Streamer of the Year” in the 12th annual Shorty Awards.

In July 2020, he (along with fellow #GSQUAD member xQc) was nominated for the Streamer of the Year Award in the Esports Awards 2020. (You can vote for him here.)

In addition to these accolades, NICKMERCS has won his fair share of esports competitions, such as the $50,000 first place prize (awarded to Team NICKMERCS, comprised of NICKMERCS, FaZe Swagg, and Diaz Biffle) in the Toronto Ultra Warzone Tournament that took place from August 5 - 6, 2020.

Trivia and Fun Facts

• Real Name: Nick Kolcheff
• Alias: NICKMERCS
• Birthday: November 21, 1990
• Age: 29
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Height: 6 feet
• Birthplace: Michigan
• Favorite Video Games: Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Gears of War
• Though NICKMERCS’ dad, Kevin Kolcheff, was initially skeptical of his son’s gaming career, his dad is now his manager.
• NICKMERCS’ total prize money during his Gears of War career was about $100,000—an impressively high amount for esports at the time.
• Aside from his skill in video games, NICKMERCS is also a skilled athlete in traditional sports. When in college at the University of Michigan, he represented the school in a basketball free-throw competition—and won.
• Prominent streamer Ninja and NICKMERCS have a years-old rivalry that dates back to their days as professional Halo players. (Nowadays, they mostly play the friendly rivalry for laughs.)
• In the past, NICKMERCS has streamed with celebrities from outside the gaming world, such as NFL quarterback Marcus Mariota. In the 2019 Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am event, his partner was Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

FAQs

What is NICKMERCS' real name?

NICKMERCS' real name is Nick Kolcheff.

How tall is NICKMERCS?

NICKMERCS is 6 feet tall.

How old is NICKMERCS?

Born on November 21, 1990, NICKMERCS is 29 years old.

Where is NICKMERCS from?

NICKMERCS was born and raised in Michigan. After living in Los Angeles, California, for several years, he moved back to his hometown in Michigan, where he resides today.

What does NICKMERCS MFAM stand for?

M for MERCS, FAM for family.

What team is NICKMERCS on?

NICKMERCS is currently a member of FaZe Clan.

What headset does NICKMERCS use?

NICKMERCS’ main headset is the Astro Gaming A40.

What controller does NICKMERCS use?

NICKMERCS primarily uses SCUF controllers, such as the SCUF Infinity4PS PRO MFAM.

What monitor does NICKMERCS use?

In all of the gaming stations in his studio, NICKMERCS uses AlienWare AW2518H monitors.

How many subs does NICKMERCS have?

NICKMERCS has over 40,000 subscribers on Twitch and over 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube.

Did NICKMERCS leave FaZe?

No. NICKMERCS is an active FaZe Clan member and content creator. In fact, NICKMERCS and FaZe Clan announced on September 23, 2020, that they will continue their partnership for the next three year years.

What is NICKMERCS ethnicity?

NICKMERCS is of mixed ethnicity. He tweeted on May 14, 2018, saying that he is 10% Mexican.

What is NICKMERCS nationality?

NICKMERCS' nationality is American.

Social Media Profiles

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NICKMERCS/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NICKMERCS/
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/NICKMERCS
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NICKMERCS
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NICKMERCS/

Top image via Twitter/@FaZeClan

This article was written by Alexander Lee, an editor, freelance writer, and esports connoisseur based in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @alexleewastaken, and check out more of his work on his website www.alexlee.work.