The publisher has also apologised to the victims’ families.
Game publisher Activision has confirmed that it will remove real-life footage of the tragic 2022 Itaewon crowd rush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, following controversy over its inclusion. The publisher recently issued a statement (via Inven global), saying that the footage will be “completely removed” following a 12 November game update.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Release date: 23 October, 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Developer: Infinity Ward
Why was the Itaewon crowd crush footage removed from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s opening cinematic uses news clips and archive footage to depict North Korea’s sudden invasion of South Korea in-game. These clips were found to include real-life footage of the 2022 Itaewon crush, an event that caused 160 deaths in Seoul, South Korea due to overcrowding during Halloween.
The inclusion of this footage spurned controversy, with bereaved families calling for its removal from the game. The South Korean government also commented on the matter, with its minister of interior and safety Yun Ho-jung saying “I believe appropriate sanctions should be imposed” as the footage causes “secondary harm.” He continued: “Using such a tragedy as material for a game, a form of entertainment or business, is something that should be refrained from as a matter of human ethics.”
Activision has responded, stating “We bow our heads in deep sympathy and apology to the bereaved families and victims who were deeply hurt by this incident, as well as to everyone we have caused concern.”
The publisher noted that “‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' is a work of fiction created to provide realistic immersion," adding, "We make it clear that in using actual news broadcast footage within the game, we never intended to evoke or trivialize any tragic event, including the Itaewon crowd crush."
The footage will be removed from the game in an update launching 12 November, 2026.
