Bereaved families of victims of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in South Korea are demanding that Activision remove real disaster footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The controversy emerged after approximately three seconds of archival news footage showing emergency responders performing CPR at the scene appeared in the game’s opening cinematic. Activision has acknowledged using real news footage but maintains that it never intended to trivialize the tragedy.
The footage appears in a cinematic depicting civilian casualties during a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. Modern Warfare 4 launched worldwide on October 23, 2026, and the controversy has emerged just days before the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon disaster, which killed 159 people on October 29, 2022.
South Korean news agency Yonhap News reported on October 28 that the footage shows a rescue worker performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a collapsed civilian immediately following the disaster. The original recording was incorporated into the game’s fictional portrayal of wartime casualties without being presented as footage of the Itaewon incident.
The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting issued a joint statement on October 28 demanding that the footage be removed. The organizations criticized the decision to incorporate images from a real tragedy into an entertainment product and urged the game’s developer and publisher to take corrective action.
The groups emphasized that the consequences of the disaster continue to affect victims’ families, witnesses and people who participated in rescue efforts. They argued that using the footage without appropriate consideration for those affected demonstrates a lack of sensitivity toward the tragedy.
The Korea Game Users Association also called for Activision to explain how the footage was selected and issue an apology. The organization specifically suggested replacing the disputed sequence through a game update rather than leaving the original footage in place.
However, the association distinguished its request from broader attempts to restrict video game content. It stressed that the controversy should not become grounds for censorship or unjustified limitations on creative expression, instead focusing on the use of identifiable footage from an actual disaster.
Activision responded to the controversy on October 28, confirming that genuine news broadcast material had been incorporated into Modern Warfare 4’s opening cinematic to communicate elements of its fictional narrative.
The publisher stated that it had no intention of referencing or making light of real-world tragedies, including the Itaewon disaster. Its explanation acknowledged the use of actual news footage but did not announce plans to remove or replace the disputed clip.
The controversy adds a sensitive issue to the game’s opening release period. Modern Warfare 4 has already generated attention through its strong early Steam user reviews and the wider rollout of its campaign, multiplayer and extraction-based DMZ mode. Unlike gameplay balance or technical concerns, the current dispute centers on the ethical implications of incorporating real-world disaster imagery into a fictional military shooter.
As of October 28, 2026, Activision has not publicly confirmed whether it will update Modern Warfare 4 to remove the footage. The families’ demand therefore remains unresolved, with no announced replacement cinematic or timetable for a possible change.
