Activision Forced To Remove 'Islamophobic Imagery' From Vanguard
Call of Duty: Vanguard has caught some criticism from the Muslim world for the disrespectful inclusion of the holy Qu'ran on the floor of zombies map.
12th Nov 2021 10:04
Activision | Twitter (Edited by GGRecon)
Activision Forced To Remove 'Islamophobic Imagery' From Vanguard
Call of Duty: Vanguard has caught some criticism from the Muslim world for the disrespectful inclusion of the holy Qu'ran on the floor of zombies map.
12th Nov 2021 10:04
Activision | Twitter (Edited by GGRecon)
Activision and Sledgehammer Games have found themselves in hot water after an insensitive choice to add an asset of the Quran to a zombies map on Vanguard, where its pages are strewn about the floor.
Why Are Muslim Fans Outraged At Vanguard?
The Call of Duty series isn't exactly known for being sensitive to other cultures and religions, and the newest entry, Vanguard, has disappointingly followed suit. The game has drawn criticism from many Muslim players after a player spotted pages of the holy Quran all over the floor of a zombie's map.
It's considered disrespectful to put the Quran on the ground in any situation, and players have made it clear that they think it was an unnecessary inclusion. Since this has come to light, the official Arabic Twitter account for Call of Duty has posted an apology and made it clear the content has been removed.
How Did Activision Respond?
A translation was provided by VGC, and the Tweet reads: "Call of Duty is made for everyone. There was insensitive content to the Muslim community mistakenly included last week, and has since been removed from the game."
"It should never have appeared as it did in-game. We deeply apologise. We are taking immediate steps to internally address the situation to prevent such occurrences in the future."
As of yet, the English-language Twitter accounts for Call of Duty, Activision, and Sledgehammer Games haven't commented on the controversy. Some think it is a way to avoid the issue in other markets, and have called for them to apologise to Muslims worldwide, instead of just the Middle-East.
Who Has Spoken Out About The Controversy?
Apart from fans and players, many people in the industry have spoken out about the issue. Vlambeer founder, Rami Ismail, has been one of the most vocal critics of the choice to include the Quran, posting on Twitter: "Could we -please- just not put text from the Quran on the ground or on places people where people can walk on it."
"Even if you think religion is nonsense, there's just no reason to be disrespectful toward two billions people's culture and beliefs in a videogame for a throwaway asset."
Osama Dorias, a designer on Gotham Knights, and Anisa Sanusi of Roll7, also voiced their displeasure at the choice by Activision on Twitter. It's good to see that Activision rectified the mistake rather quickly, but still begs the question of how it made it into the game to begin with?
About The Author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
