COD: Black Ops 7's ARC Raiders Censorship Sparks Backlash

ARC Raiders developer Embark Studios has addressed the unexpected censorship of their game's title within Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's in-game chat. Discover how the studio responded with humor to the incident and learn about Activision's official explanation.

ARC Raiders Devs See the Humor in CoD: Black Ops 7 Chat Censorship

Release Date Remains Unchanged

Embark Studios, the developer behind ARC Raiders, has humorously reacted to discovering their game's title was being filtered in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's chat. On October 7, the studio posted a clever response on Twitter (X) regarding the censorship.

The tweet stated, "We're still on track to release *** ******* on October 30th!" using asterisks that mimic a censored word, presumably in place of "ARC Raiders." This style matches how blocked terms appear in Call of Duty's chat system.

A comparable issue was reported on August 5, 2025, within the EA App Chat. Users on the ARC Raiders subreddit noted that typing the game's title was also being filtered there. EA addressed the problem the next day, though no formal statement was released.

It's widely known that ARC Raiders is an upcoming competitor to both Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6, with all three major shooters launching within a short timeframe. This led many fans to speculate that blocking a rival's name in a game's chat might be intentional.

Interestingly, neither Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 nor the EA App Chat filter each other's titles, or those of other popular shooters like Fortnite and Escape From Tarkov. While some suspect deliberate action, Embark Studios has chosen to laugh it off, keeping their focus on ARC Raiders' impending launch.

Activision Calls It Unintentional

Shortly after the online discussion gained traction, Activision provided clarification, calling the censorship an accident. Responding to an inquiry from Insider Gaming, Activision explained that a text filter malfunction was to blame.

The company noted that the word "Arc" was mistakenly flagged as an alternative spelling for an inappropriate term. When combined with "Raiders," the system automatically blocked the phrase. Activision confirmed, "The filters have now been adjusted."

This technical glitch likely explains the similar filtering that occurred on the EA App. Regardless of the cause, shooter fans have a thrilling few weeks ahead, with new releases like ARC Raiders, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and Battlefield 6 all arriving soon.

ARC Raiders launches on October 30, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. For the latest updates and news on the game, be sure to read our article below.