Activision has issued a statement addressing controversy surrounding the intro cinematic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which reportedly features real-world news footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul. The publisher stated that the footage is "not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy."
Reports from South Korean media, including SBS News, indicated that the game's opening cinematic includes several seconds of broadcast footage showing emergency workers performing CPR on a victim in the aftermath of the crowd crush. The Itaewon incident, which occurred during Halloween weekend, resulted in the deaths of approximately 150 people who became trapped in a narrow alleyway.
Groups in South Korea, including an association representing bereaved families, have reportedly called for Activision to remove the footage from the game's introduction. The campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is centered on a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea.
An Activision spokesperson provided the following comment: "In developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, we approached the subject matter with care and respect. The game’s opening cinematic utilises some real world news coverage to establish the game’s fictional narrative. It is not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form."