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After Targeting Roblox, Kremlin Lawmakers Go After Call of Duty—Label It “Russophobic,” Demand Ban
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian lawmakers are now eyeing a ban on Call of Duty, arguing that the global best-selling shooter franchise portrays the Russian military as villains and forces players to “shoot Russian soldiers,” according to Russian media Ura News on December 10.
The push comes from Mikhail Delyagin, deputy head of the State Duma’s economic policy committee, who formally requested that Roskomnadzor review the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series — both the original releases and their remasters—for signs of “Russophobia ” and, if warranted, prohibit the games from being distributed inside the country.
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“When I tried to play these games, starting from the very first, I was shocked,” Delyagin said. “Almost the entire time you have to shoot specifically Russian soldiers. This is a very unpleasant experience for any citizen of our country, some terrible masochism. In the current context, when we are in a state of proxy war with these countries, it looks especially horrible.”
Delyagin claims he has received messages from Russian players complaining that the games depict Russia as the aggressor and cast “positive Russian characters” only when they are “working for Western intelligence services.”
The request covers every installment of the Modern Warfare storyline—from the 2007 original through the 2022 Modern Warfare II reboot—games produced by the Activision publishing group, which remain among the most successful commercial shooters in the world.
The controversy echoes a much older flashpoint: Modern Warfare 2’s infamous mission “No Russian,” in which players infiltrate a Moscow airport to participate in a mass shooting of civilians while disguised as terrorists. Years later, one of the game’s designers said the team wanted players to feel “strong emotional discomfort” and ensure the moment stayed unforgettable.
Previously, Russia blocked access to the US-based online gaming platform Roblox. According to Russia, monitoring revealed content that included calls for violence, simulations of terrorist attacks, and LGBT-related material, which is banned under Russian law.
Although Western publishers have already suspended most new sales in Russia since the start of the war, previously purchased titles remain playable—at least for now.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia turns video games into instruments of ideological control, propaganda, and youth militarization. Gaming—once seen as pure entertainment—has become one of the Kremlin’s most effective tools to normalize violence and spread its imperial worldview.
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