“If it is the truth you seek, look in the dark,” says Saddam Hussein in the new live-action trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Featuring numerous real-life politicians and tons of cryptic messaging, the trailer is true Black Ops in its full glory.
Controversial figures from the world of politics, particularly those involved in conflicts around the world, are central to the trailer‘s theme. Former prime minister of the U.K. Margaret Thatcher, former U.S. presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton, deposed leader of Iraq Saddam Hussein, and former U.S. general and secretary of state Colin Powell all make an appearance (portrayed by actors) with comments on the nature of war. This latest trailer continues in the same vein as the previous promotional material for Black Ops 6, emphasizing how the government lies to the people and wages war in the shadows.
“You wanted peace, so we hid the war,” says Powell in the trailer. Images of numerous conflicts from across the globe appear. Fire also plays a central role in the imagery, with Bush Sr. looking at a raging fireplace, Hussein holding a lighter, and so on. Fire symbolizes light, and the trailer was hinted through Morse code in a previous teaser with a quote: “On May 28 we shine light on their lies.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is, as the name implies, the sixth installment in the long-running sub-franchise. It has covered a myriad of topics since the first game, but all the promotional material we’ve seen recently, including the trailer, implies a return to form for Treyarch. The first and second games, especially the former, focused on the intrigues and horrors of war, showing them unfiltered.
From trying to assassinate Fidel Castro to being brainwashed to kill president Kennedy, the early Black Ops games always featured dark and serious themes. The following games were more meek and mild, but as things stand, Black Ops 6 might take us to much darker places than before.
The worldwide reveal for Black Ops 6 will drop on June 9.
