Activision has apologised to bereaved families in South Korea after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 used real news footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in its opening cinematic.
The publisher said on 30 October 2026 that it would remove the disputed material through a game update scheduled for 12 November, following demands from families and civic groups.
The controversy centres on a brief sequence in the game's introduction, which depicts a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea through a montage of news-style reports and archival footage.
Players identified one of the clips as material recorded during the Itaewon disaster in Seoul, where 159 people died, and 196 were injured on 29 October 2022.
Itaewon Families Demand Answers
The disputed shot lasts approximately three seconds and shows emergency responders performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a collapsed person. It appears alongside footage used to establish the civilian consequences of the game's fictional military conflict.
The Itaewon crowd crush occurred during Halloween celebrations in a narrow alleyway in Seoul's nightlife district. The disaster left hundreds of people dead or injured and continues to affect bereaved families, survivors and those who took part in rescue efforts.
The October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens' Countermeasure Meeting for the Itaewon Disaster issued a statement on 28 October demanding that Activision remove the clip.
JUST IN: Activision confirms it used real footage from a 2022 South Korean disaster that killed nearly 160 people in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4,” sparking outrage from victims' families.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 29, 2026
They argued that using images from the tragedy in an entertainment product was inappropriate and insensitive.
The groups said the footage could cause further distress to people who witnessed the disaster or helped victims. They argued that images of a real tragedy should not be repurposed for entertainment.
The Korea Game Users Association also demanded an explanation, an apology and the replacement of the disputed footage.
Activision Apologises, Sets a Call of Duty Removal Date
Activision initially defended the footage as a storytelling device intended to convey the game's fictional narrative. In a statement translated by South Korean broadcaster SBS, the publisher said it had no intention of referencing or trivialising the Itaewon disaster or any other real tragedy.
However, the response did not satisfy bereaved families and civic groups, who called for the footage to be removed. Activision subsequently apologised on 30 October to families, victims and others distressed by its use.
The publisher said the footage would be removed in a game update scheduled for 12 November. The change had not yet taken place when the announcement was reported, leaving affected families waiting for the promised correction to be implemented.
Activision has not explained how the clip was selected or whether its origins were identified during development. The available reporting also does not establish whether the potential impact on bereaved families was considered before release, or whether the footage underwent a specific review.
While Activision said it did not intend to trivialise the tragedy, families argued that using real disaster footage in an entertainment product was inappropriate.
The planned update addresses their demand, but the removal remains pending until the patch is released. The controversy also raises questions about how developers assess archival material when real suffering becomes part of fictional storytelling.
