Activision Just Removed A Controversial Call Of Duty: WWII Scene Hinting At Sexual Assault

There’s no question that Call of Duty: WWII’s content isn’t going to be for everyone, since [...]

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There's no question that Call of Duty: WWII's content isn't going to be for everyone, since it's based on a time in World War II that was very rough. That's the kind of approach that Sledgehammer Games is going for. However, Activision recently had to edit a scene mainly because it came up from a suggestion by the Australian Classification Board.

The board apparently had to rate the game twice, and Kotaku AU decided to investigate the manner, since most games only get rated once. It turns out that's where it discovered Activision altered this scene, which was based on a missing designation of a "threat of sexual violence."

So what exactly was the scene that was removed? Here's a description that came from the Board:

"In one section of the game, the player controls Rosseau, a female spy, as she infiltrates a German building. While inside, she witnesses a woman as she is dragged by a Nazi soldier into a closet, against her will, screaming, 'You're all pigs!'

Rosseau opens the closet door, as the soldier says, 'Leave. This is none of your business.' The player is then given the option to kill the soldier or leave.

If the player chooses to leave, the player closes the door, as the soldier is heard unziping his fly and viewed advancing towards the woman. She screams, 'Ah! Get away from me!' as Rosseau leaves.

It is implied that the soldier is going to sexually assault the woman, but at no time is the assault depicted."

So what changed? According to the Board, "The removal of the audio track means that consumer advice of threat of sexual violence is not required."

With that, it appears that Activision is still trying to capture the sheer terror of the World War II era, but wanted to tone things down just a bit to make sure it didn't go too far, at least in Australia. It's unknown if the edit will affect other versions around the world, like in the U.S.

Call of Duty: WWII releases on November 3rd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

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