Russian lawmaker calls for ban on Call of Duty

A Russian lawmaker has proposed that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, including both original titles and remasters, be examined for potential "Russophobic" content and removed from distribution in Russia.

Mikhail Delyagin, the deputy head of the State Duma's Committee on Economic Policy, sent a formal request to Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal agency responsible for regulating media and communications, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Delyagin expressed his discomfort with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games, particularly the portrayal of Russian soldiers as adversaries in much of the series. He cited his own experience with the games, describing the repeated task of fighting Russian forces as “a deeply unpleasant experience” for Russian players.

According to the lawmaker, the only instances in which Russian characters are depicted positively in the games are those who collaborate with Western forces, such as American and British saboteurs. He argued that in the current geopolitical context, where "Russia is engaged in a proxy war with the US and its allies, such portrayals are especially troubling."

Delyagin's letter to Roskomnadzor follows reports of Russian citizens expressing dissatisfaction with the games, claiming that they depict Russian soldiers as enemies.

The lawmaker's proposal includes all titles in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, spanning from the original Modern Warfare (2007) to the more recent Modern Warfare II (2022), along with their respective remasters.

By Sabina Mammadli