The Rise of NPC Live Streams in Video Games
The video game industry has seen an upsurge in NPC live streams on TikTok. Modern Warfare 2 has adopted this trend by introducing a new weapon bundle. The understanding of the latest social media trend begins by appreciating the role of video game NPCs (Non-Playable Characters). Typically, these characters reiterate scripted lines to make a gaming world seem more alive, albeit with varying degrees of success. A prime example of this would be the eerie facial expressions modeled by Starfield's NPCs.
NPC Streaming and Its Impact
The trend of NPC streaming revolves around streamers emulating video game NPC characteristics through the repetition of specific actions and dialogues. This has gained popularity among players, with Pinkydoll being an acclaimed streamer noted for repeating phrases like "ice cream so good" or "gang gang" for hours while on camera.
Modern Warfare 2 Incorporates NPC Streaming
In the recently introduced Season 5 of Modern Warfare 2, Activision included a new aspect called Battle Buddy, a virtual assistant that doubles up as a mini-announcer during Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 matches. The latest addition is a voice in the style of NPC streamers.
On September 12, a streamer named WhosImmortal raised the question, "What is this new NPC Warzone bundle?" This new bundle, worth 1600-COD points, includes a Battle Buddy that continuously repeats lines like "Let's go kill yeah yeah," and "Ooh battlesuit time gang gang." The COD community reacted to these new additions with a mix of incredulity and intrigue.
"What is this new "NPC" WARZONE bundle" [Twitter Link]
Some Modern Warfare 2 players even joked about not purchasing the bundle if it didn't include "glizzy overdrive," a term related to a social media content creator known for live-streaming the act of eating hot dogs in a sexually suggestive manner when viewers donate with a hot dog emoji. Responding to this, WhosImmortal said, "No glizzy overdrive, no purchase from me."
Another user expressed concern that Pinkydoll, a popular NPC streamer, should receive royalty payments from the game for using her style, adding "They better be paying her."
Despite the general consensus, one commenter loved the idea, stating: “Not going to lie, I kind of love this.”
While this may be one of the most unconventional store bundles in Modern Warfare 2's history, it doesn't come as too much of a surprise given Activison’s recent emphasis on pop culture crossovers.