In a preview of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare at E3 2019, Kotaku saw a scene where a Russian soldier apprehends a young girl and debates taking the girl to a commanding officer who “likes the young ones.” The publication was told that this line, which implies sexual abuse, will be removed from the game before it’s released on PC and consoles later this year. It’s unclear whether any other lines such as this will be taken out of the game before the final release.

Call of Duty fans, worried that Infinity Ward was somehow compromising on its narrative vision, asked the studio’s narrative director, Taylor Kurosaki, for answers. Kurosaki said that there will be “no censoring” of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s gritty story and there “never” will be. However, the developer did say: “All we are doing is polishing and sharpening our vision to make this the best campaign you’ve ever experienced.” Kurosaki isn’t denying that some parts of the story may be changed, and that lines like those in the preview will be removed, but it will be because of Infinity Ward’s creative vision and not because it’s being forced to.

The response to Kurosaki’s tweet shows that many Call of Duty fans are happy that Infinity Ward plans to stick to its guns. The developer hasn’t shown off a huge amount of content yet, other than the dramatic announcement trailer, but other articles, previews, and developer interviews about the game have all painted a dark picture.

Infinity Ward has also confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will allow players to take on the role of a child soldier. The game will also track how many civilians that players have killed as “collateral damage.”

One person who has seen the game said that it is so dark that it makes the series’ infamous and controversial “No Russian” level look like a Pixar movie. Some scenes and lines of dialogue may be changed before release. However, it seems unlikely that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will change all of these emotional moments, and so the game should still be as gritty as fans are expecting.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will launch on October 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Kotaku, Twitter - Taylor Kurosaki