Kuwait bans the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” probably because of its involvement with Saddam Hussein in the 1990s

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The small Middle Eastern nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which stars late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is partly set in the 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publicly confirmed the ban on the game, which is a tentpole product of Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is scheduled to be released worldwide on Friday. However, this comes as Kuwait is still dealing with the aftermath of the invasion and video game manufacturers are increasingly exploring historical and cultural themes in their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA agents who fight at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Gameplay trailers for the game show burning oil fields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis setting fire to the oil fields, causing enormous environmental and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.

There are also images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage the developers released before the game’s release. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, involves what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles launched at Saddam in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.

Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be canceled and refunded at the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We continue to hope that the local authorities will reconsider and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this completely new experience in the Black Ops series.”

Kuwait’s media ministry did not respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment on the decision.

“Call of Duty,” which began in 2003 as a World War II first-person shooter, has grown into a billion-dollar empire that is now owned by Microsoft. But it was also controversial as its gameplay delved into the world of geopolitics. China and Russia have banned both chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack on a Russian airport that killed civilians.

But there have been other games recently that have been praised for their approach to the Middle East. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage,” released last year, received praise for its depiction of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.

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