Chance Glasco, co-founder of Infinity Ward and one of the original minds behind Call of Duty, says Activision pushed to build a game about Iran invading Israel and that many developers resisted on moral and political grounds; his remarks open a broader debate about corporate influence, government messaging, and how entertainment can be used to shape public opinion.
Glasco says the idea surfaced after the White House posted a clip on its X account that spliced game-style footage with real-world bombings, a mash-up that blurred lines between simulation and reality. The clip showed explosions with “+100” point indicators layered over violent imagery, and Glasco reacted sharply to what he saw. He has publicly pushed back against that blending of warfare and scoreboards, warning it normalizes real suffering for entertainment value. Glasco responded to the video on .
He recounted pressure from Activision leadership to pivot a major Call of Duty entry toward a scenario where Iran attacked Israel, a concept that set off alarms among the studio’s creatives. “This doesn’t surprise me. I remember after Activision took over post-Respawn formation there was a very awkward pressure from Activision for us to make the next CoD about Iran attacking Israel. Luckily the vast majority of our devs were disgusted by the idea and it got shot down,” he said.
That reaction underlines a clash between corporate strategy and the conscience of creators who build games. Glasco told interviewers that many devs felt the pitch crossed a line into political messaging and propaganda rather than fictional storytelling. “A lot of us devs were appalled because it felt like political propaganda being pushed by Activision,” he said, describing the unease inside the studio following the proposal.
Glasco raised a wider concern about how governments and media can nudge entertainment to reflect particular geopolitical narratives. “My point is that the government would happily use entertainment, including video games, as a way to sway public opinion on major issues,” he said. He noted long-running pressures in Washington and elsewhere that can translate into creative guidance or outright suggestions to content makers.
He added bluntly that foreign-policy hawkishness toward Iran has persisted across administrations, and that those institutional instincts feed into what stories media and entertainment feel comfortable telling. “There have been decades of pressure for a war with Iran across multiple administrations. The scenarios you mentioned, not so much,” he added. That context is what made an Iran-invades-Israel scenario especially sensitive to artists who care about nuance and real-world consequences.
Still, Glasco insists his own creative tenure pushed back against glorifying combat for its own sake and against letting games become armatures for political aims. “My entire time at Infinity Ward (CoD1 through CoD:Ghosts) none of our story choices were motivated by the desire to create any type of propaganda to promote any conflicts,” he said. He said developers repeatedly resisted attempts to turn games into blunt instruments of messaging rather than complicated, human stories.
Glasco reminded listeners that earlier titles often aimed to leave players unsettled about war, not thrilled by it, and he cited controversial missions as examples of trying to force that moral response. “With Early CoDs we wanted to often remind people that war is hell and not just a video game. If you play the earlier IW CoDs you’ll definitely see that throughout the series.” He emphasized the importance of preserving creative independence in an industry facing both corporate interests and political pressure.
