Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is effectively banned in Kuwait, so Activision is issuing refunds for pre-orders: 'We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider'

Image for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is effectively banned in Kuwait, so Activision is issuing refunds for pre-orders: 'We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider'
(Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is finally here, but if you live in Kuwait you won't be able to play it, at least not legally: Activision has confirmed that the Kuwaiti government has not approved the new shooter for sale in the country.

The effective Black Ops 6 ban in Kuwait was first revealed last week, but came to wider attention following a more recent AP report. The Kuwaiti government has not commented on the ban, or even acknowledged it, but Activision confirmed in a statement that Black Ops 6 "has not been approved for release in Kuwait."

"All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase," Activision 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."

It's not hard to make a reasonable guess as to the reason for the refusal to approve the game. Black Ops 6 is set amidst the events of the 1991 Gulf War, which was touched off by the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. The game is heavily fictionalized (so I assume) but pre-release marketing materials have featured both re-enactments and archival footage of news clips and real-world political leaders from the era, including George Bush, Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

For many players that might just be ripped-from-the-'90s-headlines entertainment, but for people who lived through the Iraqi invasion and subsequent US-led assault to evict them, the events of the Gulf War are not so easily trivialized.

"The move to block this game may seem theatrical, because people will find ways to buy this game if they really want it, whether via VPN or pay a premium price in the black market," a local gaming analyst told The New Arab (via Polygon). "What's more interesting here is the motivation of the authorities to block a game set in what was a traumatic period for Kuwait—the Gulf War.

"Kuwait, to this day, has difficulty engaging with that specific moment in history, for good or ill."

It's a risk inherent in using real-world events as the backdrop for videogames, and it's hardly the first time the Call of Duty series has run afoul of one government or another. Activision has attempted to get around those exclusions in some instances—it removed the infamous No Russian level from the Russian edition of Modern Warfare 2, for instance, and cut a clip of Tiananmen Square from a Black Ops – Cold War trailer after complaints from China—but given that Black Ops 6 as a whole turns on Gulf War-related events, that may not be an option here.

I've reached out to Activision and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information for comment and will update if I receive a reply.

Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

Read more
black ops 6 season 1
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has now banned 136,000 accounts as part of the ongoing struggle to ensure fair play but still says that IP banning isn't an option
Squid Games soldiers in masks
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hits peak lack of awareness with its Squid Game skins which, unfortunately, look rad as hell
black ops 6 season 1
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 developers say the avalanche of weird skins is to 'maximize fun for players', whatever that means
Delta Force's operator Luna Kim
Delta Force's Chinese developer says it doesn't 'have an opinion' on the American military and just wants to create 'fun and meaningful gameplay' with its campaign based on the very real Battle of Mogadishu
Masked game leader standing on a balcony
I was wrong—Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players are still finding fault with the Squid Game skins despite them looking cool
black ops 6 season 1
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 has been delayed, as the devs say they're 'taking the time to deliver a great experience' for what will be a 'big moment' for Call of Duty
Latest in FPS
An evil-looking demon with red eyes and horns
You can theoretically beat Doom: The Dark Ages without using a gun, but 'You'd have a hard time, that's for sure,' says the game's director
Official Doom Guy art superimposed over Vault 666 Fallout-themed background.
Fallout-themed Doom mod Vault 666 has multiple endings, an OP Dogmeat companion, and a Ron Perlman-impersonating narrator so good, I was worried it was AI-generated at first
The Doomslayer in armor
Doom: The Dark Ages won't end with the Slayer in a coffin waiting for the start of Doom 2016: 'That would mean that we couldn't tell any more medieval stories'
Doom: The Dark Ages art
'I think only the shotguns are the same,' says Doom: The Dark Ages director, otherwise the guns are brand-new or significantly transformed
zoomed in concept art of the Agadon Hunter, a new enemy appearing in Doom: The Dark Ages.
Doom: The Dark Ages already sneakily revealed its 'new Marauder,' and the devs hope he'll be just as challenging, but a little less frustrating
Doom: The Dark Ages art
The sickest gun from Doom: The Dark Ages' trailer is called the 'Skullcrusher' and does such horrible things to demons, the game's lead dev boasts id has 'the best gore in the industry'
Latest in News
A catgirl with long white hair and ears
At least it's not NFTs this time: The new Wizardry RPG is a gacha game
Staring eyes in a face covered in oil
Death Stranding 2's PS5 release date is in June, let's hope it doesn't take eight months to hit PC this time
An evil-looking demon with red eyes and horns
You can theoretically beat Doom: The Dark Ages without using a gun, but 'You'd have a hard time, that's for sure,' says the game's director
Official Doom Guy art superimposed over Vault 666 Fallout-themed background.
Fallout-themed Doom mod Vault 666 has multiple endings, an OP Dogmeat companion, and a Ron Perlman-impersonating narrator so good, I was worried it was AI-generated at first
The Doomslayer in armor
Doom: The Dark Ages won't end with the Slayer in a coffin waiting for the start of Doom 2016: 'That would mean that we couldn't tell any more medieval stories'
Path of Exile 2 showing the Warbringer ascendancy class bludgeoning his way through a pack of hyenas
Path of Exile 2 speedrunner dominates official race with the game's 'worst' class