Call Of Duty To Remove Seoul Crowd Crush Footage After Backlash From Victims’ Families

Call of Duty to Remove Seoul Crowd Crush Footage After Backlash from Victims’ Families Video footage showing the aftermath of South Korea’s deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush will be removed from the latest Call of Duty video game following strong criticism from victims’ families and civic organisations. The game’s publisher, Activision, confirmed that it would remove the controversial footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 through an upcoming software update scheduled for November 12, 2026. The decision followed an angry reaction from bereaved families, who described the use of real-life disaster footage in an entertainment product as insensitive and disrespectful to the victims. The footage appeared in the opening cinematic of the newly released game, which depicts a fictional invasion of South Korea by North Korean forces. The clips, taken from actual news coverage of the 2022 Itaewon disaster, showed emergency responders performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), victims lying in the streets and people being carried away on stretchers. The footage was used to illustrate civilian casualties resulting from the fictional military invasion. However, its inclusion sparked outrage among South Koreans who recognised the scenes from the real-life tragedy. The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and a coalition of civic organisations strongly condemned the decision to incorporate the footage into the game. In a joint statement, the groups said they were appalled that scenes showing victims receiving emergency treatment and bodies lying on the streets had been repurposed for entertainment. They argued that survivors, rescuers and witnesses continued to experience trauma from the disaster. The families demanded that Activision remove the footage and take responsibility for its use. The Korean Game Users Association also called on the publisher to apologise and replace the controversial material. Responding to the controversy on Friday, Activision issued an apology to the victims, their families and others affected by the incident. The company said it had used real-world news footage to establish the game’s fictional storyline but had no intention of referencing or trivialising the Itaewon disaster or any other real-life tragedy. It added that the controversial footage would be completely removed in an update scheduled for November 12. The apology was welcomed as a step towards addressing the concerns raised by the victims’ families, although the association said it had not initially received a direct apology. The Itaewon crowd crush occurred on October 29, 2022, during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s popular nightlife district. More than 100,000 people had gathered in the area when overcrowding in a narrow alleyway resulted in a deadly crush. A total of 159 people died in the disaster, while many others sustained injuries. The tragedy triggered widespread criticism of crowd management and emergency response arrangements in South Korea. The controversy surrounding Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 emerged as the country marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster. The incident has renewed discussions about ethical responsibilities in the video game industry, particularly regarding the use of real-life tragedies and sensitive historical footage in commercial entertainment.