10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 banned in one Middle East country

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was one of the biggest video game releases of 2024, no doubt. It is a continuation of the earlier Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (also made by developer Treyarch), leaving the Cold War setting behind and featuring a campaign set after the fall of the former Soviet Union. The game also touches on the 1990s Gulf War, which pitted a coalition of countries led by the US against the forces of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

The presence of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and other imagery like burning oil fields in the game did not go down well in the Middle Eastern nation of Kuwait, though – the country was invaded by Iraq in 1990 for its oil riches. This led to Kuwait controversially banning Black Ops 6, with Activision cancelling all preorders and refunding gamers, much to the chagrin of those who wanted to play the latest instalment of Call of Duty in the Middle East country.