Activision Blizzard is facing severe blowback after releasing a special cosmetic pack featuring LGBT-themed weapon and ammunition skins for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone. Bullets in the colors of the transgender pride flag have resulted in sharp criticism of the gaming company in the wake of trans mass shootings like the 2023 Nashville school shooting.
Bounding Into Comics reports that Activision Blizzard has taken an unconventional approach to celebrate Pride Month by introducing a special cosmetic pack for their popular video games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone. The bundle, which is available to players for free when they first visit the games’ shared digital storefront in June, includes a variety of LGBT-themed items such as a Pride Flag weapon sticker, a Pride Flag weapon keychain, and several ‘Pride Flag’ weapon skins.
If you're still playing Call of Duty, stop. They introduced trans flag bullets to honor pride month. With the number of mass shootings involving trans/non binary people recently, it seems they have a motive. pic.twitter.com/hUQOIfwjts
— 9mmSMG (@9mm_smg) June 2, 2024
These glittery skins are designed to represent the colors of various pride flags, including Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, Non-Binary, Pansexual, Transgender, and Asexual. Players can customize their weapons and ammunition with the LGBT color scheme of their choice, although the ammunition skins are only visible to the player during reload and inspection animations. Ammunition in the colors of transgender flag have resulted in fierce criticism of the Microsoft subsidiary.
(Screenshot, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department via Storyful)
Many gamers and commentators are noting the message transgender ammo sends, especially given the trend of transgender individuals engaging in mass shootings.
Breitbart News columnist John Nolte noted in 2023 that there have been four transgender shooters in less than five years:
In November of 2018, Snochia Moseley, a man who identified as a woman, wounded three and killed three after opening fire at his place of employment in Aberdeen, Maryland.
In May of 2019, a Colorado woman who identified as male shot up a school, killing one and wounding eight.
In November of 2022, a Colorado man who shot up a gay nightclub, killing five and wounding 18, was identified as transsexual.
On Monday, 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a woman who identified as a man, entered a Nashville Christian elementary school with a firearm. She murdered three adult staffers and three nine-year-old children.
Social media quickly reacted to the transgender bullets in particular:
Activision's Call of Duty has added "transgender bullets" to the game in honor of Pride Month, so you can literally play as a transgender mass shooter. pic.twitter.com/fpVXGRqZpG
— Ben Kew (@ben_kew) June 3, 2024
chat is this real
— I LOVE COCOLIA (@servalias) June 1, 2024
did they put transgender bullets in the US military funded US military propaganda game https://t.co/aCE3160vGk
Culture War Room:
— Bob Schatan (@BobSchatan) June 3, 2024
Activision's Call of Duty just added transgender bullets to the game in honor of Pride Month, so you can literally roleplay a transgender mass shooter. pic.twitter.com/hi6uXZvW2U
Although the company has previously released LGBT-themed calling cards in 2022, this is the first time they have allowed Pride graphics to be applied directly to ammunition. This decision has raised concerns among some, particularly given the recent incidents of transgender-perpetrated mass shootings in the United States, such as those at Aberdeen, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Club Q, the Covenant School, and the planned-but-averted incident at Wootton High.
Read more at Bounding Into Comics here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
