Activision has confirmed that it will remove real footage of the 2022 Itaewon disaster from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The decision follows criticism from victims' families in South Korea, who questioned why footage of such a tragic real-world event was used in a video game.
The footage appeared in the game's opening cinematic, which features a montage of news reports introducing its fictional conflict between North and South Korea.
Real Itaewon disaster footage used in Modern Warfare 4
Players noticed that some of the footage in the opening sequence came from the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul, on October 29, 2022. One of the clips reportedly shows an emergency worker performing CPR on a victim.
The disaster happened during Halloween celebrations and claimed the lives of 159 people. Many others were injured.
Activision apologises and confirms November update
Following the backlash, Activision apologised to the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragedy. The company said it never intended to reference or make light of the Itaewon disaster.
Activision has also confirmed that the footage will be removed through a game update scheduled for November 12, 2026.
Only the controversial footage will be removed
The planned change concerns the real-world disaster footage, not the entire opening cinematic or the game's campaign. Until the update arrives, players may still encounter the footage in the game.
The situation has raised questions about the use of real news footage in fictional video game stories, especially when it involves real victims and recent tragedies.
Watch the Modern Warfare 4 scene
Below is a short video discussing the controversial footage and Activision's decision to remove it.
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