Call of Duty: Warzone fans have received plenty of new content in the Season 4 update, and one of the most wholesome additions was for Pride Month. Unfortunately, those playing the game in the Middle East are not allowed to access the Call of Duty: Warzone items.

Following the release of Gay Pride calling cards in 2020, Raven Software added some fresh Pride flags to celebrate this year’s Pride Month. 8 new calling cards were added to accompany the Lesbian, Transgender, and LGBTQIA+ banners that were already in the game. These flags were aimed at gamers who identify as Genderqueer, Agender, Aromantic, Intersex, Genderfluid, Pansexual, or Gay. The Progress Pride flag was also added, which combines the main LGBTQIA+ flag and the Transgender flag into one design.

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Unfortunately, while most Call of Duty: Warzone players can access these new calling cards, those in the Middle East cannot. As shown by Reddit user not_CIA, players in Middle Eastern countries will see empty spots where the calling cards should be. While players can still see the Pride labels, the flags themselves are all replaced with a greyed-out image of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Captain Price. None can be selected, with both the 2020 and 2021 profile banners missing. This censorship could also explain why the flags are called “Pride” as opposed to having their specific names.

While this is frustrating, it is not surprising. All media depicting homosexuality is banned in the Middle East, and video games are no exception. This was shown clearly when The Last of Us 2 was banned in the Middle East, as the critically acclaimed game features a lesbian relationship. With protagonist Ellie and her girlfriend Dina seen throughout the entirety of the game, there was no way to censor the scenes. Instead, the game was simply not sold in certain parts of the world.

Call of Duty: Warzone seems to be going the route of censorship, avoiding any potential problems that could arise with Middle Eastern countries. As such, these calling cards will likely stay locked away unless there are major changes politically in these areas of the world. Still, with Middle Eastern countries okay with the high level of violence in the game, as well as items in the Season 4 battle pass that let players flip each other off, it is annoying to see the continued suppression of the LGBTQIA+ community.

While it is hard to blame Raven Software for meeting the demands of the countries it is releasing the game in, some had hoped the developer would make some kind of stand with these calling cards. Regardless, those outside of the Middle East can download Call of Duty: Warzone’s new update to don a Pride calling card and celebrate the yearly occasion.

Call of Duty: Warzone is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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