By Basant El-Faramawy
Activision will remove footage of the 2022 Seoul Itaewon crowd crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 after an angry reaction from victims' families. The real-life news coverage of the disaster, which killed almost 160 people, had been used in an opening scene to illustrate a fictional North Korean invasion.
Families' condemnation
The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association said they were "appalled" to see footage of people on stretchers, body bags on the street, and resuscitation efforts repurposed for the game. In a statement, the families described the disaster as a tragedy that caused hundreds of casualties and left witnesses and rescuers with lasting trauma. They called the use of such chaotic and desperate scenes for entertainment "highly inappropriate and senseless."
Activision's response
Activision confirmed it had used real news coverage "to establish the game's fictional narrative" but insisted it "not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form." The company said the footage would be removed in the game's next update. The decision was welcomed by the families' association, though the group noted it had not received a direct apology from Activision.
Game's controversial setting
Modern Warfare 4, released last week, had already faced criticism for basing its story on a North Korean invasion of South Korea. The two countries have been technically at war since the Korean War armistice in 1953, with no peace treaty signed. At the game's launch, Call of Duty's chief marketing officer, Tyler Bahl, told BBC Newsbeat: "We have to understand this is entertainment."
