Modern Warfare 2 effectively banned in Russia

[UPDATE: Turns out this story came from a dodgy translation, and that Modern Warfare 2 has not been banned in Russia after all. Activision clarified the matter with VG247, stating, “Reports that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been banned in Russia are erroneous.”]

[SPOILER NOTE: While sales of Modern Warfare 2 would suggest that every human on the planet has played the game at least four times, my math might be out. Hence, this is a SPOILER notice – don’t read on if you’re still to play MW2 and want to keep the surprise element.]

So Modern Warfare 2 is out, and as we all predicted, is proving a controversy magnet for the ages.

If you didn’t already know, MW2 includes a highly controversial level set in a Russian airport, in which you, the player, can go about gunning down civilians willy-nilly. Consequently, the real Russia is pissed.

In fact, Russia is so pissed that every copy of the game has now been recalled from store shelves across the vast country. In an attempt to appease the Russian authorities, developer Infinity Ward has already released a patch for the PC and Steam versions of the game, completely removing the massacre from the title.

The console versions, meanwhile, will see an edited version re-released in under a month, though these will be subject to government review before being allowed back out on the streets.

A kneejerk decision? I’m yet to tackle Modern Warfare 2‘s single-player (I know …), so will have to wait before passing judgment on the level. It certainly looks shocking, though obviously context needs to play a role in this debate. Here’s the level on its own:

[Hellforge, via Destructoid]