The Chinese authorities have blocked the original video in the Asian country, as it contained images of the 1989 protest.
Just a second of footage has been enough for the Government of China to block the trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the new installment in Activision’s star saga. The video of the Treyarch and Raven Software production showed an image of the protests in Tiananment Square, which occurred in 1989. In silence and without giving explanations, the North American company has replaced the trailer with a shorter version, barely one minute. Anyway, you can see the original video on these lines.
The protests in Tiananmen Square have always been a taboo subject among the Chinese authorities, claiming hundreds of victims. The People’s Army for the Revolution stopped the demonstrations for democracy with a heavy hand, although the Government has never officially recognized the massacre or revealed the number of people who lost their lives during this day of protests. As published by Eurogamer (via Amnesty International), any mention of the events is completely censored in China.
The Blizzard Entertainment case
Activision Blizzard, which has often rejected that Call of Duty has political overtones, has faced other problems related to the political situation in China. In 2019, Blizzard Entertainment was in the eye of the storm when it decided to expel a professional Hearthstone gamer for publicly supporting people who demonstrated for democratic openness in Hong Kong. The actions against Blitzchung generated protests against the company in full celebration of BlizzCon 2019, which is why the company apologized to the players.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be officially presented this August 26 and will take us to the Cold War, a historical period that explores the tense relationship between the United States, the Soviet Union and the network of allied countries on both sides. .
