Activision denies Modern Warfare 2 Russian ban

Controversial airport level ditched

The publisher behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has dismissed claims that the videogame has been banned in Russia because of a violent level set within a Russian airport.

“Reports that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been banned in Russia are erroneous,” Activision said.

The source of Russian contention is MW2’s “No Russian” level in which gamers must decide whether to shoot unarmed civilians at a Russian airport in order to infiltrate a terrorist group.

Activision said it chose to remove the contentious level from copies of the game on sale in Russia, where only a PC-based edition of the game is available.

MW2’s “No Russian” level has also sparked outrage in Australia, where local lobbyists have called for the game – rated MA 15+ - to be reclassified.

In the UK, MW2 is available on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game carries an 18 certificate. ®