Activision Removes Itaewon Footage From Modern Warfare 4

Activision will strip footage resembling South Korea's 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" after bereaved families and the public demanded its removal, the company said Friday, according to NBC News.

The game, released globally last week, depicts a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. It includes roughly 10 seconds of heavily edited real-world footage meant to show the aftermath of a Pyongyang attack, NBC reported. The scenes do not name Itaewon, but their resemblance to the 2022 disaster — in which a crowd surge in a narrow Seoul alley killed nearly 160 people during Halloween festivities — drew immediate backlash timed to the Oct. 29 anniversary of the deaths.

What did the footage show?

The sequence depicted bystanders performing CPR on people lying in the street, imagery that mirrored widely circulated video from the night of the crush. Activision has not disclosed the original source of the clip.

Why did families object?

The Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Itaewon Disaster Citizens' Countermeasures Committee issued a joint statement calling the use of the footage appalling, according to NBC's reporting via South Korean broadcaster MBC.

"If the game developer has even the slightest sense of respect and empathy for the victims of the Itaewon disaster, it should promptly take corrective action."

The groups said the game reproduced actual scenes of "victims" lying on "cold streets amid chaos and desperation," NBC reported.

What did Activision say?

The California-based publisher apologized and confirmed the footage will be deleted entirely in a Nov. 12 update. "This game is a fictional work created to provide a realistic and immersive experience," Activision said, per MBC. "In using actual news footage in the game, we never intended to evoke any tragic incident, including the Itaewon disaster, or to trivialize the suffering associated with such tragedies."

When does the update arrive?

Activision's statement set Nov. 12 as the release date for the patch removing the contested clip, roughly two weeks after the game's initial launch and the Itaewon anniversary.

What remains unresolved?

NBC noted the controversy landed as families are still awaiting accountability over the disaster. Nearly two dozen officials have faced scrutiny over the government's failure to prevent the crush, according to NBC's reporting, though the outlet's account was cut off before detailing final outcomes of those cases.

Timeline

• Oct. 29, 2022: Crowd surge in Itaewon kills nearly 160 people.
• Week of Oct. 20, 2026: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" launches globally with the disputed footage.
• Oct. 29, 2026: Fourth anniversary of the Itaewon disaster; public outcry intensifies.
• Oct. 30, 2026: Activision apologizes and announces removal plans.
• Nov. 12, 2026: Scheduled update deletes the footage from the game.

What to watch

• Whether South Korean regulators or lawmakers respond publicly before the Nov. 12 patch.
• Whether bereaved family groups consider the removal sufficient or press for further action.
• Whether Activision discloses the footage's original source.

For related coverage, see HTT News' earlier report on the footage removal.