Kuwait bans Call of Duty Black Ops 6 over portrayal of Saddam Hussein, Gulf War

Kuwait has banned the release of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 due to its depiction of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and its portrayal of the first Gulf War in the 1990s.

While Kuwait has not issued an official statement, the game's production studio, Activision, confirmed to the media that the popular first-person shooter will not be available in the country.

“As a result, all preorders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase. 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 in a statement.

Kuwaiti authorities have not responded to reports of the ban, nor have they publicly objected to the game’s depiction of Iraq’s 1990 invasion. 

However, many gaming enthusiasts online speculated that the game’s controversial and sensitive themes may have led to the ban.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is scheduled to launch on October 25, but its developers have faced challenges in portraying historical themes.

The game tells the story of a covert infiltration in the CIA, featuring historical figures such as Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, and Saddam Hussein in edited and altered imagery.

It also includes scenes of burning oil wells, referencing the Iraqi forces’ act of setting fire to over 700 wells in Kuwait, which caused widespread economic damage.

In the game's multiplayer mode, a battle is titled "Scud," referring to the Soviet missiles Saddam Hussein fired at Kuwait. Another section is named after Babylon, the ancient city in Iraq.

Call of Duty, which began in 2003 as a World War II-based first-person shooter, has since evolved into a multi-billion dollar franchise owned by Microsoft. 

However, the series has frequently sparked controversy for its geopolitical themes. China and Russia have also imposed restrictions on parts of this franchise.

The 1990 Iraqi invasion continues to be a highly sensitive subject in the Middle East. Saddam Hussein mobilised 100,000 troops to invade Kuwait in an attempt to seize control of its oil reserves.

A US-led coalition of 42 countries forced the Iraqi army to retreat from Kuwait, putting an end to the war in 42 days.