Activision said Friday, Oct. 30, that it would remove footage of Seoul’s deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush from its newly released “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4,” following objections in South Korea. The California-based publisher apologized and said a game update scheduled for Nov. 12 would eliminate the footage entirely.
The game includes roughly 10 seconds of extensively edited images from the Itaewon disaster, using them to portray the aftermath of an imagined North Korean attack. It does not explicitly identify the crowd crush. The game’s worldwide release last week fell shortly before the Oct. 29 anniversary of the tragedy, in which tens of thousands of Halloween revelers crowded into the nightlife district and nearly 160 people died after a surge in a narrow alley.
Organizations representing bereaved families demanded the images be withdrawn, condemning the use of actual scenes showing efforts to resuscitate victims in the streets. In a joint statement Friday, the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Committee called on the developer to show respect for those affected and take corrective action.
According to South Korean public broadcaster MBC, Activision said it had used news footage to support an immersive fictional experience. The company said it had not intended to recall the Itaewon disaster or other tragedies, or diminish the suffering they caused. Lee Jin Woo, whose younger sister died at 28 in the crush, told NBC News he initially failed to recognize the footage while playing. After learning about its inclusion, the gaming company employee said he felt betrayed by a series he had enjoyed.
The dispute comes as families continue seeking answers about why authorities failed to prevent the disaster four years ago. An ongoing investigation has resulted in charges against nearly two dozen officials, and three former police officers have been jailed. President Lee Jae Myung pledged Thursday to establish the truth, saying in a statement on X that the state had been absent when an autumn celebration became a tragedy.
The game’s broader story had already prompted debate before its release. It places South Korean conscripts alongside American troops defending against a North Korean invasion. Although fictional, the scenario draws on North Korea’s capture of Seoul in 1950. The Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, leaving the two countries technically at war.
South Korean politicians have offered differing responses. Opposition legislator Han Dong-hoon said the game raised questions about national preparedness. Governing Democratic Party member Kim Han Kyu defended games depicting conflict with North Korea, citing the continuing armistice. Opposition lawmaker Ahn Cheol Soo suggested the president play it to reconsider his assessment of the North Korean threat.
Lee Mi Hyun, a director at the Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Committee, told NBC News that both war and the crowd crush involved real suffering that was being turned into entertainment. Despite the controversy, “Modern Warfare 4” ranked as Steam’s top-selling game in South Korea and the United States as of Friday. Microsoft-owned Activision had presented the release as a return to the realistic military action associated with the franchise.
