Black Ops 6 Officially Tackles the Controversial Gulf War

The next entry in the Call of Duty series, Black Ops 6, will officially tackle the real-life conflict of the Gulf War. While the game won’t be called Black Ops Gulf War as leaks suggested, it will focus on this controversial war.

Following the first official Black Ops 6 teaser trailer and a slightly early logo reveal, new assets for the next CoD title highlight its focus on the Gulf War.

CharlieIntel reports that official Black Ops 6 assets reference the Gulf War. This marks the first time the Call of Duty franchise has addressed the controversial 1990 conflict.

However, the Gulf War might not be the main focus of Black Ops 6. Instead, it will likely serve as the backdrop for the game’s original story, similar to the Vietnam War’s role in the original Black Ops and Black Ops Cold War.

With the controversy surrounding the Gulf War, developer Treyarch has the potential to create a powerful political narrative. Given the studio's willingness to delve into the US’s history of controversial conflicts, as seen with Black Ops’ criticism of the Vietnam War, this Gulf War setting could be exceptional.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has not yet been shown in any gameplay capacity. However, the game will be officially revealed at the end of an Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, 2024.

Black Ops 6 is expected to release on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and PC sometime this fall. As the first title in the series to skip the last generation of consoles, Black Ops 6 could represent a true generational shift.