COD Mobile players in Iran reportedly unable to access the game

Video game titles are often a subject of controversy all around the world due to various reasons. Unsubstantiated claims have often caused certain titles to be banned in several countries.

These titles have been arbitrarily banned in countries sharing a tense relationship with the game publisher's country of origin. These purely political retaliations have started to become a trend.

A few months ago, the Indian government blocked access to the popular battle royale title PUBG Mobile, sighting the title's privacy policy as a threat to the country's sovereignty and integrity.

In the past, other countries like China, Germany, etc., have banned games that depict violence and display offensive content, among other things.

Iran is the most recent country to join the list of nations to ban games. Players in Iran are reporting having no access to COD Mobile, a popular title in the country.

A Twitter user 'Nariman Gharib' posted a screenshot that read:

From today, Iranian gamers who live in Iran, will not be able to play 'Call of Duty Mobile' pic.twitter.com/ApGmF1PP3G

— [email protected] (@NarimanGharib) April 12, 2021

"We are excited to see your interest in Call of Duty: Mobile. Unfortunately, we are not yet ready to release the game in your area. Stay tuned and thanks for your patience."

The ban's nature is still unknown as neither the Iranian government nor Activision (publisher of COD Mobile) released any statement regarding the issue.

Experts suggest the outage could be due to financial sanctions that the U.S. imposed on Iran amid rising tensions between the nations.

These sanctions prevent corporations and countries around the world from trading with Iran. Activision is based in the U.S., making the publisher compliant with American regulations on trade.

Earlier, titles such as League of Legends and Clash of Clans became inaccessible to Iranian users because of these sanctions.

The worst-hit from these sanctions are the Iranian gaming community's stakeholders, who have incurred massive losses because of politically motivated actions.

A Reddit user expressed his despair over the issue via a post that read:

COD Mobile (Credits; u/SAM-isDOPE)

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About COD Mobile

2️⃣ Season 2: Day of Reckoning... is a GO!🎫 New Battle Pass🗺 Shoot House & Shipment💥 New BR Mode - Tank Battle💀 Mace - Back for More👨🏻 Alex& more!🆕 A new season has launched and is available NOW in #CODMobile! pic.twitter.com/9XnRUos5DT

— Call of Duty: Mobile (@PlayCODMobile) March 11, 2021

On 1st October 2019, COD Mobile was launched by Activision, which became an instant hit with around 150 Million downloads in the first month.

The game is based on the popular video game franchise Call of Duty and won the 'Best Mobile Game of 2019' by The Game Awards.