Kuwait bans 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

The mini Mideast federation of Kuwait has banned nan merchandise of nan video crippled “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features nan precocious Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is group successful portion successful nan 1990s Gulf War

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The mini Mideast federation of Kuwait has banned nan merchandise of nan video crippled “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the precocious Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is group successful portion successful nan 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publically acknowledged banning nan game, which is simply a tentpole merchandise for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is group to beryllium released connected Friday worldwide. However, it comes arsenic Kuwait still wrestles pinch nan aftermath of nan invasion and arsenic video crippled makers much broadly woody pinch addressing humanities and taste issues successful their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting astatine times successful nan United States and besides successful nan Middle East. Game-play trailers for nan crippled show burning oilfields, a achy reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis group occurrence to nan fields, causing immense ecological and economical damage. Iraqi troops damaged aliases group occurrence to complete 700 wells.

There besides are images of Saddam and Iraq's aged three-star emblem successful nan footage released by developers up of nan game's launch. The game's multiplayer section, a celebrated characteristic of nan series, includes what appears to beryllium a godforsaken shootout successful Kuwait called Scud aft nan Soviet missiles Saddam fired successful nan war. Another is called Babylon, aft nan ancient metropolis successful Iraq.

Activision acknowledged successful a connection that nan crippled “has not been approved for merchandise successful Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders successful Kuwait will beryllium cancelled and refunded to nan original constituent of purchase,” nan institution said. "We stay hopeful that section authorities will reconsider, and let players successful Kuwait to bask this all-new acquisition successful nan Black Ops series.”

Kuwait's Media Ministry did not respond to requests for remark from The Associated Press complete nan decision.

“Call of Duty," which first began successful 2003 arsenic a first-person shooter group successful World War II, has expanded into an empire worthy billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it besides has been arguable arsenic its gameplay entered nan realm of geopolitics. China and Russia some banned chapters successful nan franchise. In 2009, an introduction successful nan gaming franchise allowed players to return portion successful a militant onslaught astatine a Russian airport, sidesplitting civilians.

But location person been different games precocious that won praise for their handling of nan Mideast. Ubisoft's “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published past twelvemonth won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during nan Islamic Golden Age successful nan 9th century.