Westminster is in a quiet panic. Activision, the games giant behind Call of Duty, has given the green light for a new instalment depicting a full-scale invasion of North Korea. The UK Ethics in Gaming Board has raised the alarm. Sources say the board's chair, Dame Margaret Hodge, will demand a parliamentary debate.
The game, tentatively titled 'Call of Duty: Pyongyang', is set to launch in 2025. Betas go live next month. Insiders say the plot follows a US-led coalition invading the reclusive state after a nuclear provocation. Cue explosive set-pieces. But the political fallout could be just as dramatic.
Board sources are furious. They argue the game trivialises a real and volatile conflict. One adviser called it 'dangerous propaganda dressed as entertainment.' Activision's response has been terse: 'We are artists, not diplomats.' That line won't play well in the Foreign Office.
The timing is awkward. No 10 is already grappling with a fragile peace on the Korean peninsula. A Downing Street aide told me: 'We don't need this. The PM is trying to keep the lid on things.' Under pressure, Activision has agreed to a pre-launch briefing with the board. But they won't pull the game. Too much money at stake. Pre-orders are already breaking records.
Labour's shadow culture secretary is circling. Expect a Commons question next week. The ethical angle is a gift for the opposition. Activision's lobbying team is working overtime. They've hired a former FCO mandarin to smooth things over. No luck so far.
The real story is the power shift. The Ethics in Gaming Board was created as a toothless watchdog. Now it's behaving like a regulator. Ministers are watching nervously. They don't want to be seen as censoring creative work. But they also don't want a diplomatic incident.
I spoke to a backbench MP who sat on a defence select committee. His take was blunt: 'This is a mess. You can't invade a sovereign state for entertainment. It's not Call of Duty: Nottingham.' He has a point.
The game's narrative director defended the choice: 'We explore the human cost. It's anti-war.' Hard to sell that when the marketing features airstrikes on Pyongyang's monuments.
What happens next? The board has no legal teeth. But public pressure is mounting. Activision may need to add a 'political sensitivity disclaimer' or offer a charity donation. But the decision is made. The invasion is coming. And Westminster is bracing for impact.
