Activision Pulls Controversial Call of Duty Test Ads

Activision has removed controversial in-game advertisements from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone weapon loadouts, claiming they were an "accidental feature test" mistakenly published in the Season 4 update.

Following last week's Season 4 launch, players encountered unavoidable weapon bundle promotions within the build and weapon customization menus. The intrusive ads sparked immediate backlash across the community.

The gaming community reacted with overwhelming negativity, with many considering this the breaking point. "Unacceptable to see these in a premium priced game after paying €80," one player commented. Another stated: "This feels like opening a mobile game with how often we're prompted to buy something."

Activision's Response Faces Community Skepticism

The publisher issued a statement on social media: "A UI test displaying store content in Loadout menus was unintentionally included in the Season 4 update. This feature has since been removed."

However, long-time Call of Duty fans remain unconvinced. "They always test controversial features and backpedal when faced with backlash," noted one player. Another commented: "Translation: We saw how much everyone hated our forced ads so we're pretending it was a mistake."

Growing Concerns Over Monetization

The franchise's monetization strategy continues evolving following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Beyond the rising $70-$80 base price, players now navigate battle passes, premium battle passes, and increasingly expensive content tiers.

All attention now turns to the upcoming Call of Duty release - rumored to be a Black Ops 2 sequel - to see whether weapon customization ads will make a formal debut.