Activision to remove Seoul crowd-crush footage from Call of Duty

Entertainment · First reported 29 Oct, 04:41 · Updated 13:15

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Activision said it will remove real news footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from Modern Warfare 4 after bereaved families objected to its use in the game. The company apologised, and the families’ association welcomed the decision but said it had not received a direct apology.

The game’s opening scene used real news footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush to establish a fictional North Korean invasion storyline.
Bereaved families called for the footage to be removed, saying its use brought distress to people affected by the disaster.
Activision apologised and said the footage would be removed in the game’s next update on 12 November; the families’ association welcomed the decision but said it had not received a direct apology.

Summary written by Lux AI from 3 articles

Key facts

Disaster: The 2022 crush occurred in Seoul’s Itaewon district during Halloween; the Guardian reports 158 deaths and two later-recognised victims.
Game: Modern Warfare 4 used real news coverage in an opening scene depicting a fictional North Korean invasion.
Planned change: Activision said the footage would be removed in the update scheduled for 12 November.