CoD: Modern Warfare Highway of Death Controversy

[W.I.P]

Overview

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Highway of Death Controversy refers to a controversy surrounding the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare mission "Highway of Death," inspired by the real-life bombing of Highway 80 by the American, Canadian, British and French forces in 1991. In the game, the bombing is attributed to Russian forces, which caused review bombing of the game by Russian players and triggered a global backlash.

Background

On October 25th, 2019, first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, set in a fictional country of Urzikstan and developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, was released.^[1] The sniper mission "Highway of Death" takes place in a location named Tariq Almawt, or the Highway of Death, a reference to a real highway between Kuwait and Iraq which in February 1991 was bombed by the American led coalition during the Persian Gulf war. In the game, character Farah Karim tells the player that the Russians bombed the highway, killing refugees.

If they try to escape to the mountains, there is only one road, 'Tariq Almawt,' the highway of death. The Russians bombed it during the invasion, killing the people trying to escape.

Online Reactions

Reactions in Russia

Global Backlash

Search Interest

External References