Black Ops 6 calling card updated after players claimed it was a 9/11 reference

A Calling Card found in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has had a quick change from developers Treyarch after players spotted what they believed to be a 9/11 reference in the graphic.

After the Black Ops 6 beta went live on Friday, August 30, players noticed very quickly that the ‘Make History’ Calling Card — a small badge of sorts that players can emblazon to personalize their in-game profile — featured a small section that depicted a plane flying into a triangle shaped building.

This was paired with a blurred image of President George W. Bush and a tape on which someone is writing what people believe to be ‘Clinton’, another former President.

Through linking them together, players believed that the calling card was a reference to the September 11 attack in New York City that claimed the lives of almost 3000 people.

By September 2, however, the Make History calling card had undergone some significant changes, using just the central imagery of the tape being written on.

It had completely discarded both the right side, which depicted the plane, and the left side which featured the blurred image of George Bush.

At the time of writing, neither developers Treyarch nor Activision themselves have commented on the assumptions from players or the changes made to the Calling Card.

Because of that, it’s unclear on the exact reason that the cosmetic was changed. Some players obviously believe that the assertions with 9/11 were too below the belt, while others suggested that it could be due to it possibly spoiling other in-game content, such as campaign missions.

There were rumors throughout the game’s development cycle that there would be a 9/11 mission, though Treyarch themselves debunked these rumors in June 2024.

This isn’t the only complaint made by Black Ops 6 players so far, as a large number of players — including several notable current and former pros — have been banned during the beta.