Reported by 2 outlets
The story so far
AI summary of the reporting below · Updated · How we work
Activision has apologized and pledged to remove real-world disaster footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 following severe backlash from victims' families and advocacy groups. The game's opening cinematic incorporates news clips from the October 2022 Itaewon Halloween crowd surge in Seoul, which left 160 dead and nearly 200 injured. Activision plans to replace the imagery in a patch scheduled for November 12. [1][2]
The sequence uses archived news footage showing bodies lying in the street, an individual being transported on a stretcher, and CPR being performed to depict fictional civilian casualties from a North Korean invasion of South Korea. Activist coalitions, including the bereaved families association and the Korean Game Consumers Association, condemned the inclusion as senseless and inappropriate for an entertainment product. [1][2]
Activision initially stated that it approached the game's subject matter with care and used news coverage solely to establish its fictional narrative rather than trivialize the tragedy. The publisher later extended its deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the bereaved families, acknowledging that the material caused distress. [1][2]
Activision has come under fire due to the inclusion of real-world footage of the tragic Itaewon Disaster in Modern Warfare 4. The bereaved families association and the Citizens Countermeasure Meeting are asking for the footage to be removed.
via Eurogamer
Clips of rescue efforts following a crowd crush in Seoul that killed 160 people in 2022 was used to represent the immediate aftermath of a North Korean invasion.
via PC Gamer