Mexico moves to ban Call of Juarez: The Cartel

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is a gunslinging sequel set in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Chihuahua state legislators are trying to get federal authorities to ban the game for its depiction of warfare between the drug cartels of the city. With 6000 drug related deaths in the city in the last two years, Ciudad Juarez is one of the most violent towns in the world. Mexican authorities are worried that a videogame will make things worse.

The Washington Post has the story. They've spoken to Chihuahua congressman Ricardo Boone Salmon, who said "it is true there is a serious crime situation, which we are not trying to hide. But we also should not expose children to this kind of scenarios so that they are going to grow up with this kind of image and lack of values."

State congress leader Enrique Serrano also said that the ban was designed to protect children. "Children wind up being easily involved in criminal acts over time, because among other things, during their childhood not enough care has been taken about what they see on television and playing video games. They believe so much blood and death is normal."

Call of Juarez: The Cartel moves the series to a modern setting in what Ubisoft are calling "the New Wild West." The game's due out this summer.

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Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.