Activision is facing criticism following the discovery of real footage from the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy in the opening moments of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The inclusion of these clips has drawn significant backlash from bereaved families and civic groups in South Korea, who are urging the developer to remove the content.
The footage appears within a sequence depicting a news report on fictional civilian casualties resulting from a North Korean invasion of South Korea. It includes archived clips showing emergency responders carrying victims on stretchers, performing CPR, and corpses lined on a road. These represent the real-life tragedy that occurred during the Itaewon disaster, which is South Korea’s worst mass casualty event since the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse.
Calls for Removal from Bereaved Families and Civic Groups
The bereaved families association and the Citizens Countermeasure Meeting have issued a joint statement condemning the game’s use of actual disaster footage. They described the inclusion as “highly inappropriate” and labelled it a “senseless act” given the game’s entertainment purpose. The groups highlighted the ongoing trauma endured by survivors and rescuers of the incident, stressing that the developer should show empathy and promptly rectify the issue.
The Korean Game Consumers Association also weighed in, seeking a detailed explanation and formal apology from Activision. While emphasising that the footage’s inclusion is harmful to those affected, the association clarified that their complaint does not amount to a call for censorship of the game itself. They have urged for the footage to be replaced in a future update.
Activision Responds to Concerns Over Footage Use
Eurogamer approached Activision for comment regarding the controversy. The publisher stated that throughout Modern Warfare 4’s development, the subject matter was treated with “care and respect.” Activision explained that the opening cinematic includes real-world news coverage solely to establish the game’s fictional narrative and is not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedies.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, which resulted in 160 deaths and left 196 injured. The tragedy occurred during a Halloween crowd surge in the Seoul district and has had a lasting impact on those connected to the event.
Modern Warfare 4 is available on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The controversy about its content is particularly relevant to these console players given the game’s wide availability and global reach.
