Modern Warfare 4 to remove Itaewon tragedy footage after backlash

Activision will remove footage from the opening cinematic of Modern Warfare 4 following backlash in South Korea regarding its use of real-world news clips from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. The title features a brief visual of medical staff aiding an individual to portray victims in a fictional war setting.

Image: DayOne

The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting called for the sequence to be removed, stating that using the disaster as entertainment material is inappropriate. The Korean Game Consumers Association also requested an apology and an update to replace the footage.

Activision stated that the video supported the storyline and was not created to mock or exploit actual historical events. The company apologized to the victims and their families and said the footage will be removed in an update scheduled for November 12. The 2022 Itaewon disaster resulted in 160 deaths and 196 injuries.

Background On October 16, players who pre-ordered were able to begin playing the story. Our earlier story