Footage of Seoul crush to be removed from Call of Duty after backlash
Activision will remove footage of the 2022 Seoul crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 after families of those who died objected to its use in the game. The footage showed victims being carried on stretchers, body bags and attempts to resuscitate people; families said using such scenes for entertainment was deeply inappropriate.
The crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district killed almost 160 people after more than 100,000 people gathered for Halloween and became trapped in narrow streets. Activision said it used news coverage to support the game’s fictional story and did not intend to trivialise the disaster. Families welcomed the removal but said they had not received a direct apology; the game, released last week, depicts a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea.
In short
- Activision will remove footage of the Itaewon crush from Modern Warfare 4.
- The 2022 disaster killed almost 160 people.
- Bereaved families welcomed the decision but say they received no direct apology.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Removing the footage respects the dignity of those who died and the grief of their families, especially because scenes of bodies and resuscitation were being used in an entertainment product without their agreement. The families’ objection carries particular weight given their direct connection to the victims, and taking the footage out can acknowledge that news images do not become appropriate for fictional use simply because they are publicly available.
The case against
A defence of including the footage is that a fictional story about an invasion may draw on real news coverage to convey the human consequences of conflict, rather than to mock or trivialise a particular disaster. Activision said it had no intention to do so, and a creator may argue that carefully used documentary material can lend realism and prompt reflection; removing it in response to concerns still recognises that this artistic aim must be weighed against the harm to bereaved families.
Explained simply
Seoul’s Itaewon district is a busy area known for its narrow streets and nightlife. During Halloween in 2022, a large crowd gathered there and people became trapped; almost 160 people died in the crush.
Call of Duty is a series of action video games, and Modern Warfare 4 tells a fictional story about a North Korean invasion of South Korea. The controversy centres on the use of real news footage of the Itaewon disaster in a game, and the concerns of bereaved families about how images of victims are used.