Activision to remove Itaewon crush footage from game’s opening scene
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Activision will remove footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s opening cutscene in an update on 12 November. The decision follows strong objections from bereaved families in South Korea, who said using scenes from the disaster in an entertainment game was inappropriate.
The game is set on the Korean Peninsula and uses real-world footage to frame its fictional story. The crush occurred during Halloween celebrations in Seoul on 29 October 2022, killing around 160 people, most of them young adults. Activision said it had not intended to reference or trivialise the disaster.
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In short
- Activision will remove the footage in a 12 November update.
- Bereaved families condemned its use in the game.
- The Itaewon crush killed around 160 people in 2022.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Families said the cutscene included people trying to rescue victims and bodies in the street, prompting Activision to confirm the removal; the company said it had not meant to reference or trivialise the disaster.
- 1 hour ago Activision said it would remove footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s opening cutscene in a 12 November update, after bereaved South Korean families objected to its use.
Full account
Activision says it will remove footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from the opening sequence of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, after bereaved families and others in South Korea objected to its use. The company has apologised to families, victims and people distressed by the footage. It said an update scheduled for 12 November would take it out of the game.
The crush happened on 29 October 2022, during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district. A dense crowd surged through the area’s narrow streets and alleys, killing 159 people. Reports say the game’s opening included real news images from the disaster, including people performing CPR and victims being carried away. The sequence uses real-world events to set the scene for a fictional story involving a North Korean invasion of South Korea.
Activision said it had used actual news footage to establish the game’s fictional narrative, but had not intended to refer to or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy. The families’ association described using the scenes in an entertainment product as inappropriate and insensitive. One report quotes families saying they were appalled that footage of people trying to save one another and victims lying in the cold had been used in a game.
The two reports foreground different aspects of the response. One focuses on the families’ condemnation and the question of using real tragedy in entertainment; the other gives more detail about the images and the game’s fictional premise, and reports Activision’s apology. It also says the families’ association welcomed the removal while telling the BBC it had not received a direct apology from the publisher. The second report notes that the game has faced separate criticism over its depiction of conflict between North and South Korea.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report says Activision told the BBC it never intended to reference or trivialise the disaster; the second reports the same position alongside an apology, and says the company gave its statement to South Korean broadcaster MBC, as reported by The Korea Herald.
The second report specifies 159 deaths and describes images of stretchers, body bags and CPR. The first gives an approximate toll of 160 and quotes families describing the footage and their objections.
The first centres on bereaved families’ condemnation and the broader debate over depicting real tragedies in games. The second adds that the families’ association welcomed the removal but said it had not received a direct apology, and notes criticism of the game’s fictional war setting.
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 bereaved families and recognises that images of people suffering in a recent tragedy can cause further distress when used for entertainment. The families’ objection also highlights that real victims and emergency efforts should not become dramatic material without careful consideration of those affected.
The case against
The footage was reportedly used to frame a fictional story set on the Korean Peninsula, not to reference or trivialise the crush, and Activision says it will remove it after hearing families’ concerns. A reasonable case for including real footage is that it can give historical context and convey the gravity of events, provided it is used sensitively and with a clear purpose.
Explained simply
South Korea is a country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, where tensions with North Korea have shaped its modern history. Call of Duty is a series of military action games, and Modern Warfare 4 uses the peninsula as the setting for a fictional story.
On 29 October 2022, a crowd crush during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district killed around 160 people, mostly young adults. The disaster affected families and communities across South Korea, and footage of the event remains deeply painful for many bereaved relatives.
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Originally published by Destructoid as “Modern Warfare 4 is cutting real-world footage of the 2022 Seoul crush from its opening cutscene after backlash from the bereaved”.