Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 isn’t due out until November 10, but someone out there managed to get their hands on an extremely early copy of the game. In addition to acquiring the copy, that someone also published footage that briefly appeared on the Internet earlier today. Said video was quickly removed at Activision’s request, and they cited the usual (well within their rights) copyright infringement, but…why? This close to release day the publishers are usually doing anything they can to get coverage, and generate buzz about their product, but not this time. Apparently the video not only showcased key spoiler moments from the title, but also included content that could be seen as highly controversial when taken out of context: terrorists gunning down innocent civilians.

Preemptively addressing the controversy bound to emerge from such a sequence, Activision has since issued the following statement. “The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them. Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.”

Source: Shack News