Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 banned in Kuwait, probably for political reasons

Government officials have not publicly commented on the ban, but Activision confirmed it to Polygon Black Ops 6 “has not been approved for release in Kuwait.” Pre-orders placed in Kuwait will be canceled and refunded, it said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series,” a representative added.

The Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry did not respond to requests for comment before publication. Activision did not give a reason for the blocked sales in Kuwait.

Black Ops 6 was released on Friday, the next big iteration of the popular Activision series. Although the title contains six, Black Ops 6 is actually the seventh part of the Black Ops series after 2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops 6 is set in the early 1990s and focuses on covert missions in historical theaters of war. The new game is set during the Gulf War, when the late Iraqi dictator Hussein invaded Kuwait in a 42-day occupation. Black Ops 6 In the trailers, archive footage of US Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton is mixed with in-game footage; one scene appears to show burning oil wells; It is likely a reference to the burning of 700 oil wells by the Iraqi military, an event that caused environmental and economic disaster for Kuwait.

“The move to block this game may seem theatrical because people will find ways to buy this game if they really want it, be it via VPN or for a higher price on the black market,” said a local gaming executive Kuwaiti analyst told The New Arab. “What’s more interesting here is the authorities’ motivation to block a game set at a traumatic time for Kuwait – the Gulf War. To this day, Kuwait continues to struggle to come to terms with this particular moment in history, for better or for worse.”