- Primary Subject: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- Key Update: Activision and Infinity Ward face widespread condemnation in South Korea for incorporating real news footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush tragedy into Modern Warfare 4's intro sequence.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: October 28, 2026
- Quick Answer: South Korean groups demand Activision remove real news footage of paramedics from the 2022 Itaewon tragedy used in Modern Warfare 4's intro.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is under fire for using real-life footage of a tragedy that occurred in South Korea in the game.
Modern Warfare 4 is centered around a fictional full-scale North Korean invasion of South Korea. Part of the story follows Private Park, a South Korean soldier who must defend areas of his country from falling.
In an effort to set the stage before jumping into the campaign, Infinity Ward used footage from an actual tragedy, and it has sparked flak from South Koreans.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Uses Real Footage from South Korean Tragedy
It was recently revealed that Activision used real-life footage from a tragedy in Seoul, in which 159 people died, as part of the intro sequence of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
In the scene, a narrator's voice is accompanied by clips from actual news reports. One part briefly includes a scene of a paramedic giving CPR to someone lying on the floor. It didn't take long for people to discover the scene involved footage from the 2022 Halloween crowd crush tragedy in Itaewon.
At the time, a crowd surge in an alleyway led to 159 deaths and 196 injuries. Not long after, South Korean broadcaster SBS revealed that the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association released a statement demanding that Activision remove the footage from the game.
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In their statement, they noted the Itaewon disaster was a "tragic tragedy that resulted in hundreds of casualties, and citizens who participated in rescue efforts or witnessed the event at the time are still suffering from trauma." They stated that if Activision had courtesy and empathy, they would promptly remove the scenes.
Additionally, the consumer rights advocacy group Korea Game Users Association also demanded that Activision remove the offending clips. They are also demanding a clear explanation of how the footage made it into the game and an apology.
Activision has released a statement to SBS, acknowledging the use of the footage and that they had no intention of treating the tragedy lightly. They explained that the news report footage was included to convey the narrative of Modern Warfare 4.
However, they didn't confirm whether or not they would erase the footage.
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