Activision has confirmed that footage of the tragic Itaewon crowd crush, which resulted in over 160 deaths in 2022, will be removed from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The decision follows backlash from Korean audiences who found the inclusion of the real-world disaster footage insensitive and inappropriate.
The incident, which occurred during Halloween celebrations on October 29, 2022, involved a crowd surge that led to numerous fatalities. The game's opening sequence reportedly used distorted footage of this event to set the premise for its fictional war between North and South Korea.
Activision released a statement to Korean news outlet MBC on November 12, apologizing for the footage's inclusion and confirming its removal in an upcoming update. The company stated that there was no intent to downplay the pain experienced by the victims and their families. As of this writing, an English-language statement from Activision or developer Infinity Ward has not been made public.
The use of such recent and sensitive real-world tragedy in a video game's narrative has drawn criticism, with many questioning the creative decision-making process that allowed it to be included in the first place.