Activision under fire in South Korea for using real Itaewon disaster footage in Call of Duty game

Activision Blizzard is facing criticism in South Korea after real footage from the deadly Itaewon crowd disaster appeared in the opening scene of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The clips, lasting several seconds, show someone receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rows of bodies lying on the road, and a victim being carried away on a stretcher.

The Itaewon disaster occurred on October 29, 2022, when partygoers were crushed and trampled in the narrow streets of Seoul's nightlife district during Halloween celebrations. A total of 159 people died, and nearly two hundred were injured.

“A real grief, with names and surnames behind it, should not be used as decoration to sell a shooter game.”

Families of the victims and various civic groups issued a joint statement saying they were shocked that chaotic and desperate scenes of citizens trying to save each other were used to create a game scene. They demanded that the footage be removed and said people who participated in rescue efforts or witnessed the disaster still suffer from trauma.

The Korea Game Users Association joined the call, additionally requesting a public apology and an urgent update to replace all audiovisual material.

Activision Blizzard told South Korean news agency Yonhap that part of the actual news footage included in the game's opening scene was used to convey the game's fictional story. The company said it had no intention of trivializing or referring to specific real-life tragedies.

The publisher did not deny to Yonhap that real news footage was used. The families argue that a real grief, with names and surnames behind it, should not be used as decoration to sell a shooter game.