Itaewon crush families urge Activision to remove footage from Call of Duty

Bereaved families of people killed in Seoul’s 2022 Itaewon crowd crush have called on Activision to remove real footage of the disaster from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, describing its use in the game as “highly inappropriate and senseless”.

The footage appears in the game’s opening, where rescue scenes from the crush are used to depict the aftermath of a fictional North Korean attack. Almost 160 people died in the disaster.

Activision confirmed it used recordings from that night. A spokesperson said the company had “not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy” and said the opening cinematic used real-world news coverage to establish the fictional story.

The families said they were appalled that footage of people trying to save others and victims lying in the street had been used in an entertainment game. They urged the developer to take corrective action. Activision did not comment on their request to edit the scene.

The dispute comes as South Korea marks the fourth anniversary of the crush, which happened during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district. Modern Warfare 4, released last week, has also faced criticism for its fictional scenario of North Korea invading South Korea. The countries remain technically at war, having never signed a peace treaty after fighting stopped in 1953.