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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, primed for worldwide release in the coming week, has been banned in Kuwait by local authorities. While an official reason hasn’t been stated, the controversy likely revolves around the setting of the game itself, which includes the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. This is supported by the inclusion of historical world leaders such as Bill Clinton and Saddam Hussein in the promotional material of the game.
In a statement to IGN, a spokesperson for Activision confirmed that all preorders for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in Kuwait would be refunded. He added that they were hopeful that the game would be approved by local authorities in the near future.
While fans will be disappointed, it remains to be seen if future talks between Activision and Kuwaiti authorities could result in a lifting of the ban. Activision could potentially censor or remove more controversial parts of the game for release in Kuwait, as they did for the “No Russian” mission for Modern Warfare 2 in Russia.
Whether such censorship is implemented, of course, depends on how crucial the mission in question is to the overall narrative, and the coming days should give us more clarity regarding this as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 prepares for launch.
Owing to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard back in 2023, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to become the first game of the franchise to hit Game Pass on day one. While the game would have been a part of the "$1 for fourteen days" of Game Pass trial, Microsoft has now canceled this offer ahead of launch.
