Call of Duty has been many things over the years—military shooter, esports platform, and increasingly, a flashy billboard for pop culture. From Ninja Turtles and Squid Game operators to celebrity cameos from Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen, Activision has embraced crossover chaos. But this weekend, they pushed the envelope a bit too far.
🧨 Ads in the Loadout Menu? Seriously?
Players discovered that ads for premium bundles—paid content—began appearing right inside the Loadout menu, where players normally configure their weapons.
What made this so offensive?
➡️ Black Ops 6 costs €80.
➡️ These types of intrusive ads are usually seen in free-to-play games.
➡️ The game already has a dedicated store page, so inserting ads just one button away from gameplay felt aggressively greedy.
😡 Player Backlash Was Swift
Outrage exploded across Reddit and social media, with fans calling the move unacceptable. For many, this was the “straw that broke the glass”—a tipping point in a franchise long criticized for monetization creep.
🤡 Activision’s Response: “It Was a Mistake”
In a move that’s almost comically familiar, Activision quickly removed the ads and issued a classic excuse:
“It was a mistake.”
This “oops” defense echoes similar past controversies:
- EA’s unskippable ads in UFC 4
- PlayStation 5’s sponsored interface “glitch”
- NBA 2K’s infamous mid-game ads
- All “accidental,” of course.
🧠 The Pattern Is the Problem
While each incident is played off as a one-time error, the pattern is clear: advertisements sneak in, backlash erupts, and publishers retreat—until the next time. It’s a tactic that increasingly feels like “test the waters and hope no one notices.”
🧩 Final Word
For fans of Call of Duty, this episode raises a big question:
How much is too much when a full-priced AAA game starts behaving like a mobile freebie?
Players may have won this round, but expect this battle between corporate monetization and gamer goodwill to keep resurfacing.
