Activision has apologized after footage from the real-life Itaewon crowd crush in South Korea was used in Modern Warfare 4, confirming that the clip will be removed from the game.
Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23, with its campaign following a fictional conflict that begins with an attack on South Korea by North Korea.
However, one of its early sequences has faced criticism for featuring footage recorded in the aftermath of the Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul in October 2022.
Around three seconds of real news footage appears during a cinematic, including people being taken away on stretchers and a person being resuscitated, used to demonstrate the reaction to the in-game invasion.
The incident prompted an apology from Activision, which has now announced plans to remove the footage.
“The video material in question will be fully removed through a game update to be released on Nov. 12,” the publisher said in a statement sent to MBC News. “We offer our deepest condolences and apologies to the bereaved families and victims who suffered deep wounds from this incident, and to everyone we caused distress.
“This game is a fictional work created based on realistic immersion, and while utilizing actual news footage within the game, there was absolutely no intention to evoke any tragic events, including the Itaewon tragedy, or to downplay the pain associated with them.”
This comes after families of those affected criticized the decision to include the footage and called for it to be taken out.
“We cannot help but be appalled that the chaotic yet desperate situation, where numerous citizens at the scene performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the cold streets, was taken verbatim to create a scene in the game,” their joint statement said.
“If the game developer has even the slightest respect and empathy for the victims, they must take immediate corrective action.”
For now, the footage remains visible in the Modern Warfare 4 campaign, but the patch coming on November 12 will automatically remove it for all players.
