• Nickmercs was born on 21 November 1990 in Detroit, Michigan, US.
• He is a professional gamer, streamer, YouTuber and social media personality.
• He rose to fame with the release of the popular battle royale game • Fortnite, setting several records.
• NickMercs is known for his outspokenness and love of bodybuilding.
• He has amassed a net worth of approximately $2 million and is popular on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter and Instagram.
Contents
- 1 Who is Nickmercs?
- 2 Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Motor City
- 3 Career Beginnings: Gears of War, Call of Duty and Competitive eSports
- 4 Fortnite
- 5 His Personality
- 6 Love for Bodybuilding
- 7 Personal Life: Does NickMercs Have a Girlfriend?
- 8 Body Measurements: How Tall is NickMercs?
- 9 Net Worth: How Rich is NickMercs?
- 10 Online Presence
Who is Nickmercs?
Born on 21 November 1990, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., under the water sign of Scorpio, Nick Kolcheff, also known as NickMercs, is an American professional gamer, streamer, YouTuber and social media personality. His streaming career began on 4 December 2011, when he started his YouTube channel. At the beginning, Nick only played Call of Duty and Gears of War, but reached superstardom after the release of the hit battle royale game – Fortnite. He set several records related to this game, which further increased his fandom of several million subscribers on YouTube, as well as on Twitch.
Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Motor City
Nick was born into an American family, but there is no available information about his childhood, although since he became famous, fans and various reporters have asked him to reveal more about this part of his life, but he’s a very private person, so he politely refused to answer all inquiries related to said matter. During one streaming session, he revealed that he has two younger siblings, but didn’t disclose their identities. His dad, Kevin Kolcheff was a high school football coach, and Nick credits him for helping him develop an infatuation with sports. We also know that he attended City High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, matriculated in 2008, and went on to enroll at the University of Michigan. In 2012, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree, but he hasn’t revealed his major.
How Did He Develop a Love for Gaming?
Unlike most gamers who never talk about the “dark side” of gaming, NickMercs has always been open about the fact that he was addicted to games. ‘Everything I thought about in school was games’, recalled Nick during one Twitch streaming session. ‘I was so bored in class that I drew Call of Duty maps and characters from Gears of War.’ Like every parent, Kolcheff Sr. didn’t approve of his son’s addiction, and tried everything to stop him. One of their arguments got so heated that Nick’s dad smashed his XBOX in an effort to stop his son from wasting time. This prompted young Nick to leave his home for a while, however, as time went by the two reconciled, as Kevin saw that his son wasn’t just fooling around – he was legitimately good. Thus, he allowed Nick to move to Lone Jack, Missouri to join a team of gamers who were training for national and international competitions.
Career Beginnings: Gears of War, Call of Duty and Competitive eSports
Before he became a streamer, Nick was one of the most prominent faces in the Gears of War world. He played in several notable tournaments as a part of Team Envyus, alongside fellow Fortnite streamer HighDisortion. The two were an excellent team and reached stardom in the eSports scene. Then Nick started playing Halo, and became acquainted with another famous professional gamer, who nowadays goes by the name of Ninja. The two started off as rivals, with their battles involving serious insults and trash talk. At one time things became so intense that the two almost met to fight in real life. Fortunately, that didn’t happen and the two are now good friends, regularly streaming together.
In late 2011, Nick created his YouTube channel to post videos of himself playing Outlast, Call of Duty and other popular games at the time. The channel didn’t gain much traction, so he switched to Twitch to gain a significant audience. Despite being a professional gamer, his subscriber count grew slowly, but Nick refused to give up.
Fortnite
On 21 July 2017, the now-massively popular game Fortnite was released. NickMercs was one of the first gamers to start streaming it. A seasoned professional with numerous Call of Duty, Halo and Gears of War tournaments behind him, Nick found it easy to get used to the game, and soon became one of the best in the world.
In 2017 and 2018, he set two world records in Fortnite, firstly “Most Kills as a Single Player in a FORTNITE Battle Royale Special” with 56, and a few months later for “Most Kills in a Duo”, totalling 46 alongside his partner NioiLy – each player dispatched 23 opponents. These two achievements turned him into a superstar, and one of the most-watched streamers on Twitch. In 2018, he participated in the Summer and Autumn Skirmish Series, two of the most acclaimed Fortnite tournaments in the world. Although he rarely appears in tournaments, NickMercs is more popular than ever due to his focus on entertaining people through streams.
The Controversy With 100Thieves
In 2016, Nick surprised everyone by joining 100Thieves, one of the most renowned eSports collectives in the world. The founder and leader of the squad, Nadeshot, is a now-former friend of his. During his time on the team, he mostly partnered with SypherPK to play Fortnite, and the two managed to win 3rd place at the Summer Skirmish Series in 2018. 100Thieves became even more famous due to Nick’s popularity, and became one of the only three teams to field players for the US team at the League of Legends World Championship. However, on 24 May 2019, he announced his departure from 100Thieves. In an interview, he stated that Nadeshot ‘broke important professional promises’ and that he would ‘never do business with him again’.
While playing for 100Thieves, Nick was sponsored by Red Bull eSports, Rocket Mortgage, StockX and Razer. On 30 May 2019, he joined Faze Clan, with whom he still co-operates.
A skin based on Kolcheff was announced for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare In May 2023,, but was removed a month later due to a tweet apparently the result of a fight in California schools including content about the LGBT community in their curriculum. The tweet stated: “They should leave little children alone. That’s the real issue”.[9]
His Personality
Nick became popular not just because of his skills, but also due to his extroversion. Fans adore him for the fact that he’s never afraid to say what’s on his mind. During streaming sessions, he’s always loud, and reacts to both victories and defeats with equal passion. He’s one of the biggest personalities in the eSports scene. People also credit him for being the voice of console gamers, who are a minority in the gaming world, compared to those who prefer playing on a PC.
Love for Bodybuilding
Gaming isn’t the only thing NickMercs love. With the help of his father Kevin, he started lifting weights when in high school, and since then has maintained a regular workout routine. Nowadays, he has a ripped physique.
You can see him uploading workout videos onto his YouTube channel, such as “HOW TO GET BIGGER SHOULDER AND TRAPS”. This resulted in many fans comparing him to Bajheera, another popular gamer who is infatuated with bodybuilding.
Personal Life: Does NickMercs Have a Girlfriend?
NickMercs married Emumita Bonita, whom he calls Emu, on 10 October 2020. They’ve been together for a long time, and he even bought her a $800 Nintendo console for her birthday in 2018.
While they are private about their relationship, you can often see Nick posting about their fights and disagreements on his social media.
Body Measurements: How Tall is NickMercs?
Nick Mercs is 5ft 11in (180cm) tall, weighs around 179lbs (81kgs), and has a ripped physique as a result of his regular weightlifting workouts.
Net Worth: How Rich is NickMercs?
According to several reputable sources, he has a net worth of approximately $6 million, as of mid-2024, accumulated by participating in many eSports tournaments, and placing high in national and international rankings. Nowadays, most of his revenue comes from sponsors and Twitch donations.
Past few weeks I’ve gotten so many pictures & messages from ya’ll rockin’ the #MFAM apparel! Shit is WILD! Our community is exceptional & I’m proud & thankful. 🍻❤️ pic.twitter.com/IXbvego5sW
— FaZe Nickmercs (@NICKMERCS) July 25, 2019
Online Presence
Nick is no stranger to social media. He only recently created a Facebook page, but is far more popular on Instagram, on which he posts both Fortnite videos, and photos from his personal life, as well as on Twitter. He’s also popular on YouTube and Twitch.