In what might be the strangest Pride celebration yet, Activision Blizzard has kicked off June with a bang (literally) by dropping a new cosmetic pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone. This pack is loaded with LGBT-themed weapons and ammo skins, proving that even in the heat of battle, representation is essential for some strange reason?!
Available for free on players’ first visit to the shared digital storefront this month, the optional bundle offers a variety of Pride-themed goodies. Those who choose to download it will receive a Pride Flag weapon sticker, a Pride Flag weapon keychain, and several vibrant Pride Flag weapon skins.
Shining with glitter and themed after the standard Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, Non-Binary, Pansexual, Transgender, and Asexual pride flags, these skins let players deck out their weapons and ammo in the LGBT colours of their choice. During reload and inspection animations, players can admire their weaponry adorned in vibrant Pride colors.
In describing the bundle on the storefront, Activision Blizzard simply exclaims, “There’s no better price than FREE!”
In a statement to Forbes’ Erik Kain, the embattled Microsoft subsidiary emphasized, “Call of Duty is for everyone, and we’re proud to celebrate Pride Month by offering seven different Weapon Camo variants, each representing the colours of the different LGBTQ+ flags. Available as a free Gift Pack, find them in the Store in a single bundle.”
While offering Pride-themed cosmetics for Call of Duty is not new for Activision Blizzard—having introduced LGBT-themed calling cards in 2022—this is the first time the studio has allowed Pride graphics to be applied directly to ammunition, a feature only recently added to the game.
Though allowing players to use such optional cosmetics to customize their characters is generally uncontroversial and likely intended to be a straightforward inclusion, the decision to extend these graphics to bullets is notably odd. This peculiarity is underscored by the rise in transgender-perpetrated mass shootings in recent years, such as the incidents at Aberdeen, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Club Q, and the Covenant School, as well as the thankfully avoided tragedy at Wootton High.
Critics might argue that concerns over this cosmetic option are overblown, given that mass shootings are overwhelmingly perpetrated by non-transgender individuals. However, it’s worth noting that while this statistic is true, there’s a distinct difference: no items celebrate the immutable traits of the former demographic.
For those interested in snagging the bundle, it is now live on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone storefronts.
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