Activision Pulls Disputed Call of Duty Ads After Backlash

Activision has removed controversial in-game advertisements from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone's loadout menus, claiming they were mistakenly published as part of a "feature test."

After Season 4's launch last week, players encountered weapon bundle promotions while customizing their loadouts in both games. These ads appeared unavoidably during critical gameplay moments.

The community backlash was immediate and severe, with many calling it unacceptable monetization. "Putting ads in a full-price $80 game that already profits from microtransactions crosses the line," one player commented. Others compared the experience to intrusive mobile game advertisements, questioning why premium titles now feature menu-cluttering promotions.

Did they seriously add bundle ads to the weapon selection menu?
byu/JustTh4tOneGuy inblackops6

Activision responded via Twitter, stating: "An unintentional UI test displaying store content in Loadout menus has been reverted following the Season 04 update." The publisher emphasized these promotions are no longer active.

Many players remain unconvinced by Activision's explanation, suspecting this was another calculated test of monetization boundaries rather than an accident.

"This follows their usual pattern - introduce aggressive monetization, gauge reactions, then retreat if backlash occurs," noted one skeptical fan. Others interpreted the removal as damage control after overwhelming negative feedback.

Call of Duty's monetization controversies aren't new, with players already navigating $70 base games, battle passes, and premium content tiers. However, many perceive increased monetization aggressiveness since Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition.

The gaming community now watches carefully for signs of similar advertising attempts in the reportedly upcoming Black Ops 2 sequel.