Welcome to GYGO! I’m Kael, the cool middle school teacher who knows about Ninja, and I somehow found a break between English camps and school festivals this week to chase down my passion for video game news! I haven’t had time to play much, though I did fit in a couple of goes at Hollow Knight while on the ferry to a conference. We all know how I love to play critical darlings years after their popularity has faded. Anyway, here’s the news!
Modern Warfare Goes in Hard on the Historical Revisionism
So, uh, it turns out that the new Modern Warfare game just sorta lies about a US war crime and makes it a Russian one because it needs the US forces to be seen as the good guys.
So that's… I don't really have words for how to feel right now. Disgusted, probably. pic.twitter.com/8wGRIuYkKk
— Chowder (@TheChowderhead) October 27, 2019
The most recent Call of Duty entry, Modern Warfare, reframes the bombing of Highway 80 between Kuwait and Iraq, commonly known as the Highway of Death, as being perpetrated by Russian forces. In reality American, Canadian, British, and French military forces bombed fleeing Iraqi military personnel, destroying between 1,400 and 2,000 vehicles—and presumably killing their occupants. It is believed that civilian refugees were included in the group and that the retreat itself was in accordance with UN Resolution 660. It’s notable that Modern Warfare takes place in a fictional alternate history in which a Russian dictator has been controlling parts of the Middle East for decades—but to use a historic event’s name, location, and impact while only changing the perpetrators certainly seems like a political statement to me.
Games Are Getting Pushed Back
BTW, Ghost of Tsushima doesn't have a public release date yet, but it'll also be bumped later into 2020 to account for this delay. Don't expect them to suddenly turn it into a PS5 game or anything, but it was originally planned for the first half of the year – not anymore
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) October 24, 2019
The Last of Us Part 2 release is being pushed back three months, to May 29th. This surprised me so soon after its release date announcement, but Naughty Dog claims it is to bring it up to their standards.
Many Ubisoft titles are also being pushed back. Watch Dogs: Legion, Gods & Monsters, and Rainbow 6: Quarantine will all have their releases shifted back, the first to be between March 2020 and April 2021, and the last two without a solid window.
Ghosts of Tsushima will reportedly be pushed back as well to avoid being released at the same time as The Last of Us Part 2, according to journalist Jason Schreier.
Riot Games Removes Ban Against the Name of a Persecuted Chinese Ethnic Minority in Chat
Representatives claim censoring of the word “Uyghur” was an accident caused by their automated chat filter. If that’s the case, then it is very poorly timed, as Riot recently issued a warning to professional players of their games about speaking on “sensitive topics” while on air. The sensitive topics in this case ostensibly being… the Hong Kong protests that have caused controversy for Blizzard.
In Other News…
- Rare “Pikachu Illustrator” Pokémon Card Goes for $224,000
- The Climate Trail Tests Players Ability to Survive a Climate Catastrophe
- Dungeons and Dragons Advice for the Socially Anxious
- Is Any Discord Server Truly Private?
- Encountering Mortality Through Play
- Class Warfare Tears at the Fallout 76 Community
A genderless eldritch beast bound to mortal flesh. Interests include games, gardening, magical realism, and the complete restructuring of America’s political and economic systems. Frequently orders too much food at restaurants. Tweets @unnnez.
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