Kuwait has denied the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in the country, and in response, Activision is cancelling all preorders. Refunds are available at the original point of purchase.
In a statement, Activision said the game “has not been approved for release” in Kuwait, and as such, it won’t be available on October 25 in the region. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series,” Activision said.
The exact reason why Kuwait did not approve Black Ops 6 for release is unknown. However, some speculate it has to do with the portrayal of the Middle East given that Black Ops 6’s campaign focuses on the Gulf War. Saddam Hussein has been featured in advertisements for Black Ops 6, and many believe the campaign could feature the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that kicked off the Gulf War.
Before this, Black Ops 2 was banned in Pakistan after store owners raised concerns that the game depicts the country as a training ground for terrorism.
Activision could theoretically edit or censor Black Ops 6 to appease local authorities in Kuwait, and there is precedent for this. Activision previously removed the “No Russian” mission from Modern Warfare 2 to appease authorities in Russia, while World at War’s Nazi references were removed for the game’s German release. Whether or not Activision will edit or adjust Black Ops 6 for Kuwait is unknown.
Some developers refuse to compromise on their vision and opt to straight-up cancel a game for a specific region if a country’s ratings board denies a game for release. For example, Krafton opted to cancel The Callisto Protocol’s release in Japan, saying it was unwilling to edit the game for creative reasons. Other studios have found fun and creative ways to get around local rules. For example, South Park: The Stick of Truth was censored in Australia and Germany due to scenes involving anal-probing, abortion, and swastikas. During certain censored scenes an image of a statute making a face-palming gesture appears, along with text describing what you would have seen in the uncut version. In Australia, the game used an image of a crying koala during the probing scene, leaving it up to the players’ imagination.
Black Ops 6 launches on October 25, and it will be available on Game Pass at launch. You have to be an Ultimate subscriber, though, and Microsoft just removed the $1 trial offer.