Activision will remove real footage of the 2022 Seoul crowd crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 after criticism from victims’ families. The publisher apologized for including the material in the game and said the clip will be removed through an update scheduled for 12 November 2026.
The footage appears in the game’s opening scenes, which depict a fictional full-scale invasion of South Korea by North Korea. It shows a paramedic performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a victim lying in the street, using images recorded in the aftermath of the disaster in Seoul’s Itaewon district.
Real disaster footage appeared in a fictional war scenario
The Itaewon crowd crush happened on 29 October 2022 during Halloween celebrations. A crowd became dangerously compressed in a narrow alley in the South Korean capital, killing 159 people. The inclusion of footage from the tragedy drew condemnation from families who lost loved ones, particularly because the images were used as part of an entertainment product built around a fictional military conflict.
In a notice sent to South Korean reporters, Activision said it regretted the decision and apologized to victims, bereaved families and others affected by the use of the clip.
“We deeply apologize to the victims and their bereaved families who must have suffered, as well as to everyone who we have caused concern,” Activision said.
The publisher added that the footage would be removed in the update scheduled for 12 November. Activision also said it had not intended to evoke painful memories of the Itaewon disaster or disregard the suffering caused by it when it incorporated news footage into the game.
What the update means for players
For players in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the announced change is a content removal rather than a new feature or gameplay expansion. The notice identifies 12 November as the update date, but gives no separate Philippine rollout schedule. Players will therefore need to refer to the game’s update process on their platform for the applicable timing.
- Game affected: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- Content being removed: Real footage from the 2022 Seoul crowd crush
- Update date: 12 November 2026
- Publisher response: An apology to victims, bereaved families and others affected
The decision follows criticism from families who said the footage showed a real tragedy being used to create a scene in a fictional game. Activision’s statement acknowledged the concerns while maintaining that the company did not intend to trivialize the Itaewon crowd crush or any other tragic event.
