Kuwait has banned the highly anticipated video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a product of Microsoft-owned Activision, which released worldwide on Friday, October 25.
However, Kuwait authotities has not publicly announced the ban, Activision has confirmed the news.
In a statement shared with Eurogamer, Activison said, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has not been approved for release in Kuwait. At this time, the title will not be available for release in the region.”
“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.”
The Associated Press reached out to Kuwait’s Media Ministry for comment on the decision, but it did not respond.
The multiple Media report claims that Kuwait may have banned the game due to its settings. Black Ops 6 is set during the 1990s Gulf War, which began after Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, led by Saddam Hussein.
The trailers for Black Ops 6 feature real-life world leaders from that time period, including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush, Colin Powell, Saddam Hussein, and more.
Call of Duty, a first-person shooter game launched in 2003, is set in the context of various historical conflicts.
Previously, China and Russia have imposed restrictions on various installments of the Call of Duty franchise due to political concerns.
In 2013, Pakistan banned Call of Duty: Black Ops II due to its depiction of the country’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as supporting Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.