I’m Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff, and for years my name was synonymous with Call of Duty: Warzone. But in late 2021, I made a decision that shocked a lot of my fans: I traded the familiar crack of Warzone’s sniper rifles for the colorful, chaotic battle royale of Apex Legends. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. Cheaters had overrun Warzone, and the lack of a proper ranked mode made the grind feel pointless. I needed a new challenge. Apex Legends Season 10 gave me one.

I had played Apex before—mostly sponsored streams at the start of new seasons—but I never stuck with it. This time was different. I started grinding seriously. The Apex community had mixed feelings about my switch. Some welcomed the attention; others worried I was just a tourist. I wanted to prove I meant business. I wasn’t playing for glory or to mock the game. I was genuinely trying to improve.

One of the biggest things I brought to Apex was my MFAM tournaments. I moved them from Warzone to Apex, and the prize pools often dwarfed most ALGS competitions. That won over a lot of players and fans. It also showed the scene that I was willing to invest in its future, not just farm content.

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Let’s be honest: I wasn’t very good at Apex at first. I could shoot straight—give me a Bocek or an R-301 and my aim transferred from years of FPS grinding—but the movement, looting, and legend abilities took time. Other big streamers like Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins tried Apex too. His Fortnite prowess helped him with movement and looting, but he ultimately couldn’t stick with it. I kept going.

Goodwill I’d extended to the pro scene came back to me. I started squadding with top players like G2’s Tyler ‘Dezignful’ Gardner, and my skills jumped to another level. Two months after my first serious foray, I could comfortably hold my own. Sure, I still lagged behind my teammates, spent too much time looting, and wasn’t a Pred-level IGL. But I reached Apex Predator rank—more than most of us can say. That’s what separates content creators from ALGS Champions.

Could I do well in esports? I built a squad: Eric ‘Snip3down’ Wrona, an ex-TSM player who left to focus on Halo esports, and Deeds, a 17-year-old Apex streamer. I’m a part-owner of FaZe, the org Wrona competes for in the Halo Championship Series. With HCS and ALGS schedules aligning in 2022, people wondered why Snip3down ever left TSM, one of the most popular and successful teams in competitive Apex history.

All three of us are cracked Apex players, but how would we gel? Who’s the IGL? Snip3down is the obvious choice, but he’d never taken that role at the highest level. My ranked main was Bloodhound—known as an easy starting character thanks to wallhacking abilities, but not meta in esports for a while. Would I learn another legend, or would we lean into an off-meta composition? Bloodhound isn’t bad, but you need to be better than not bad to make Pro League.

Role Likely Legend Notes
IGL Snip3down Obvious shot-caller, but new to the role at top level
Support/Anchor Deeds Expected to play Gibraltar (Gibby)
Flex NICKMERCS Bloodhound main; practising Gibby, could learn Caustic, Crypto, or Loba

We assumed Deeds would be the Gibby, and Snip3down had tried Valkyrie for TSM before leaving. I would need to settle on Caustic, Crypto, or Loba to make the most meta team. Caustic made the most sense for me, but all take time to learn. With just a month before Split 2, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a Bloodhound tear up the Challenger Circuit for the time being. To confuse things further, I’d been practising with Gibby on stream too.

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Fans speculated whether FaZe would sign the roster and return to Apex esports. At the time, that seemed unlikely—I denied it outright on a recent stream. But if the team made it to the ALGS Championship in July via good performances in the Challenger Circuit and a win in the Last Chance Qualifier, I wouldn’t rule a FaZe takeover out. The esports company would have to ensure Snip3down’s two esports wouldn’t clash, but that would be easier since he was signed for both.

Fast forward to 2026, and Apex Legends looks very different. The ALGS has grown, new legends have shifted the meta, and the line between content creator and pro player has blurred even more. I never became an ALGS champion, and maybe I never will. But my presence in Apex Legends has only been a positive influence. I shared my legion of viewers with a new community, organized high-profile tournaments with large prize pools, and supported the players who compete. Whether I could hold my own in the ALGS was always an open question, but the journey was worth it. 🎮🔥

Here’s what I learned from the switch:

  • 🎯 Aim transfers, but game sense doesn’t. You have to grind movement, rotations, and legend synergy.

  • 🏆 Community investment matters. Tournaments and positive vibes can do more for a scene than one viral clip.

  • 🧠 Meta matters at the top. Off-meta picks can work in ranked, but Pro League demands flexibility.

  • 🤝 Teammates make or break you. Good comms and trust beat raw mechanical skill.

By 2026, I’ve watched Apex evolve through dozens of updates, new maps, and fresh competitive formats. The game I once used as a Warzone escape became a second home. I’m still Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff—streamer, FaZe co-owner, and Apex Predator. And if the ALGS ever comes calling again, I’ll be ready to answer. 💪