Activision has responded to criticism in South Korea after viewers found that the opening cinematic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 includes a few seconds of real news footage from the aftermath of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul. Bereaved families and civic groups want the footage removed. In a statement to Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun, the publisher said the cinematic was never meant to reference the disaster. It has not said whether the scene will be changed.
The criticism comes on a painful date. Today, October 29, is the fourth anniversary of the disaster.
- What: about three seconds of archived broadcast footage from the Itaewon disaster appears in MW4’s opening cinematic, according to SBS News.
- Who objects: the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, the Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting and the Korean Game Consumers Association.
- Activision’s position: the clip is news coverage used to set up the game’s fictional story, “not intended to reference or trivialize” the disaster.
- Status: no patch or edit has been announced as of 13:30 UTC on October 29.
Table of Contents
What was found in Modern Warfare 4’s opening cinematic
Modern Warfare 4, which launched worldwide on October 23, has a campaign built around a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. Its opening cinematic uses a montage of news-style clips to show civilian casualties in that invented war. SBS News reports that one of these clips is real broadcast footage of emergency responders helping a victim immediately after the Itaewon crush. After players noticed it, the clip spread on social media in South Korea.
Modern Warfare 4's campaign is set during a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. Image: Activision
What bereaved families and civic groups are asking for
In a joint statement reported by SBS News, the bereaved families’ association and the Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting called it “highly inappropriate and a senseless act” to use the incident as material for an entertainment product. They noted that rescuers and witnesses still live with the trauma, and they asked the developer to “promptly take corrective measures.”
The Korean Game Consumers Association asked for a clear explanation and an apology, and for an update that replaces the footage. It also said the dispute should not grow into calls to censor or restrict the rest of the game.
Activision’s statement in full
Activision gave Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun the same statement:
“In developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, we approached the subject matter with care and respect. The game’s opening cinematic utilizes some real world news coverage to establish the game’s fictional narrative. It is not intended to reference or trivialize the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form.”
Activision gave a similar response to Korean media, according to SBS News. The statement does not include an apology, and it does not say whether Infinity Ward will edit the cinematic. Those were the two things the families and the consumer group asked for.
Activision says the opening cinematic used real news coverage only to set up the game's fictional story. Image: Activision
The Itaewon disaster
On the night of October 29, 2022, a Halloween weekend crowd became trapped in a narrow, sloping alley in Seoul’s Itaewon district. Eurogamer notes it was South Korea’s most severe mass-casualty event since the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse. This year’s official memorial ceremony, announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, included a roll call of the names of all 160 victims, The Herald Business reports. A year after the disaster, the BBC spoke to survivors who were still living with its effects.
What it means for players and for Activision
For players, nothing has changed yet: Activision has not announced any edit to the cinematic. The game’s whole campaign is set in South Korea, which is why the response there matters. The campaign has been well received by critics so far, and this criticism concerns how real images of a national tragedy were used, not the game’s fictional story.
What’s next
The open question is whether Activision will replace the clip in a future update, as the consumer association asked. So far it has made no such commitment. We will update this story if Activision or Infinity Ward announces a change. For more on the campaign itself, see our Modern Warfare 4 campaign guide, and for the wider business picture, our report on Call of Duty’s $40 billion lifetime revenue.
Sources: SBS News, Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun (Activision statement), The Herald Business, BBC News.
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Featured image: Activision
