The Real Reason NickMercs Wants This Apex Legends Character Banned

Though NickMercs used to be primarily known as a a big name in the "Warzone" community, he's been basically addicted to "Apex Legends" since late 2021. It's not hard to understand why. The streamer took to "Apex Legends" quickly, forming well-thought-out opinions on everything from the game's characters to the community that keeps it running. It doesn't hurt that "Apex Legends" is one of the best battle royale games available on the market. Of course, NickMercs isn't a slacker, either. He quickly began to entertain thoughts of going pro, practicing the game, and determining which characters suit him best. This is all to say, NickMercs has some strong thoughts about how he feels "Apex Legends" should run as a battle royale community, and what changes might improve the game. Now, NickMercs has admitted that there's one character he thinks should be removed from "Apex Legends" entirely.

Okay, maybe not from the game as a whole, but at least from ranked play. Ranked matches function differently from more casual bouts because they situate the player in tiers of skill. Players can improve their abilities and strategies, moving up the ranks until they reach the top, earning prizes along the way, and solidifying their reputation within the "Apex Legends" community. Ranking highly is an accomplishment worth some well-earned bragging rights, but it often presents the option for players to expand their esports careers and make real money. 

A certain character having an advantage in ranked play could skew the numbers and make it easier for less-skilled opponents to get to the top of the rankings. But what character could cause such an imbalance that NickMercs wants them gone?

During a recent stream, NickMercs said that he wants Horizon banned from ranked play because her moveset is too powerful to compete with and provides an unfair advantage to some players. "I felt like a little kid playing Jumanji," the streamer explained. "Got sucked into the board game, man. ... I hate getting sucked in by Horizon. That's the worst character in the video game."

Part of Horizon's advantage, according to NickMercs, is her black hole. This special ability allows Horizon to create a powerful singularity that pulls other players towards it, making them easy targets for Horizon to then pick off. Sometimes, her ability even works through walls, as NickMercs pointed out, which seems like an unfair aspect to an easily-exploited ability.

"She's gotta go. I hate her," NickMercs stated bluntly. Then he jokingly added, "If I hate her, then she's gotta go. That's it." The streamer claimed that his followers were starting a petition to remove Horizon from "Apex Legends," but he didn't provide details on where the petition was located or how to support it. NickMercs' claim that Horizon should get booted from ranked play sparked a small debate amongst his teammates, one of whom claimed that Valkyrie is the character that really needs to go. NickMercs insisted that Valkyrie makes the game more balanced and adds nuance, whereas he believed that Horizon's ability to move characters through walls and objects with her black hole was overpowered. 

Of course, NickMercs is just one "Apex Legends" player, and fans have their own takes on who should stay or go from the game's roster. 

Fans couldn't resist commenting on NickMercs' suggestion of removing Horizon from ranked play. Naturally, NickMercs has his own ideas about who players should main, too. Fans were ready to both support and pick on NickMercs. One player pointed out that NickMercs isn't alone in his hatred of Horizon, linking to a chaotic clip of a player getting sucked into their own teammate's ultimate ability. Other gamers poked fun at NickMercs' anger, saying that Horizon was "making our boy go mad!" While there's no evidence of a NickMercs-led anti-Horizon campaign, one petition – created over a year ago – also aimed to bring down the notorious black hole Legend. Unfortunately, the petition only garnered 12 signatures.

As far as who NickMercs enjoys playing in "Apex Legends," the streamer said that he believes every team needs either Seer or Bloodhound because of the information they can provide their team. When used correctly, NickMercs explained, these two legends can act in similar ways to wallhacks, allowing players to easily spot their opponents and hunt them down. NickMercs initially thought that Seer was a broken character, but quickly came around, beginning to main the mysterious, stylish character.

Regardless of who NickMercs chooses to play in "Apex Legends" — or who he has to play against — the streamer's career is still doing well. NickMercs blew up in 2021, rising in the ranks of internet stardom, and even made a splash by signing the biggest contract of his life with Twitch.