Activision apologizes for using real-world disaster footage in Modern Warfare 4

Activision has apologized after including real footage of a deadly 2022 incident in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, confirming that the footage will be completely removed in a forthcoming update following backlash from victims' families. The latest Call of Duty game included snippets of footage from the Seoul Halloween crowd crush, during which more than 150 people were killed in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea.

In a statement to South Korean broadcaster MBC, reported by The Korea Herald, Activision said the footage would be removed in an update scheduled to arrive on Nov. 12.

“We offer our deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the bereaved families, victims and everyone who has been deeply hurt or distressed by this incident,” the company said.

Activision acknowledged using actual news footage to establish the game's fictional narrative but insisted it never intended to reference or trivialize the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy.

The disturbing real-world footage behind the controversy

The controversy centers on footage from the Oct. 29, 2022 crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district, which killed 159 people. The disaster occurred during Halloween celebrations, when thousands of people crowded into the neighborhood's narrow streets and alleys. The footage used in Modern Warfare 4 reportedly showed victims being carried away on stretchers, body bags on the street, and people attempting to perform CPR.

The game's opening sequence used the real-life news coverage to help establish its fictional scenario, which depicts a North Korean invasion of South Korea. The decision sparked outrage among bereaved families, who called the use of the footage in an entertainment product inappropriate and insensitive.

The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association welcomed Activision's decision to remove the footage, though it told the BBC that it had not received a direct apology from the publisher.

Modern Warfare 4, which launched last week, has also faced criticism for its depiction of a fictional war between North and South Korea. The two countries technically remain at war, having never signed a peace treaty following the 1953 armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War.