Confirming the ban, Call of Duty developer Activision said that Black Ops 6 has not been approved for release in Kuwait. The company said that it will not be available for release in the region and all pre-orders in Kuwait will be canceled and refunds will be issued to the original point of purchase. However, Activision also expressed hope that the Kuwaiti authorities may reconsider their decision.

What is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?

Black Ops 6 has been co-developed by video game publishers Treyarch and Raven Software Corporation. It is the 21st installment of the Call of Duty franchise that made its debut on October 29, 2003, for Microsoft Windows users. The first installment of the franchise was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision.

The first edition was set against the backdrop of World War II, allowing players to see the war through the eyes of the British, American, and Soviet soldiers. The game combined the single and multiplayer missions. Each subsequent game had a series of campaigns where players were required to advance and fight against opponents in its multiplayer mode.

Black Ops 6 is slated to release on October 25 for Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation users. It is the seventh in the Black Ops series after the release of Black Ops: Cold War in 2020. The new game is set in 1991 and features rogue operatives, Troy Marshall and Frank Woods, pitted against a secretive group known as Pantheon that is infiltrating the Central Intelligence Agency. The game will reportedly have a multiplayer mode with 16 new maps at launch and will have omnidirectional movement mechanics with enhanced actions like diving, sliding, and sprinting.

The teaser of the game shows news footage and advertisements from the early 1990s where the narrator asks the viewer to ‘stop being sheep and become wolves’. Another teaser featured several world leaders who were consequential during that time such as Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, and Saddam Hussein.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Kuwait, and Gulf War

The Gulf War, which spanned nearly seven months, continues to be a sensitive topic in Kuwait owing to its traumatic impact and historical context. On August 2, 1990, Iraq led by Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait resulting in a prolonged occupation of the country on the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Following the occupation, Kuwait witnessed heightened human rights violations such as civilian deaths, torture, forced displacements, and disappearances.

Being a small nation with a strategic position, the invasion violated Kuwait’s territorial integrity and also challenged its national sovereignty. In simple words, the occupation affected every aspect of life in Kuwait. Over half of the population reportedly fled during the war. While many nationals returned in 1991, non-nationals, especially Palestinians, were prohibited from coming back.

Iraqi forces pulled out of Kuwait in 1991 after they were defeated by US-led coalition forces.

Call of Duty’s history of controversies

The popular video game franchise has faced a similar fate in the past too. Russia banned Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, while China banned Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

In 2021, it was reported that Call of Duty on mobile was banned for users in Iran without any official notice. Just as with Kuwait, there was no straightforward explanation by the Iranian government. However, it was speculated that the sudden ban could have been due to rising tensions between the US and Iran.

In 2012, Pakistan banned Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 along with Warfighter and Medal of Honor for allegedly depicting the country in poor light. The All Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassette Traders and Manufacturers Association had said that the video games went against the country’s national unity and sanctity. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which was released in 2009, was blocked in Russia but not officially banned.

While the bans have been mostly due to political reasons, several nations also momentarily halted first-person shooter games over concerns about the propagation of violence.