Call of Duty maker faces backlash over use of Seoul crowd crush footage

Key facts

• Footage of the 2022 Seoul crowd crush is used in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
• The clips depict civilian casualties, including CPR on a victim and rows of bodies.
• Activision stated the footage was used to convey a fictional story.
• Families of victims and civic groups are demanding the footage's removal.
• The game depicts a fictional North Korean invasion through Korean streets.

Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, has been asked by bereaved families and civic groups in South Korea to remove footage of the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from the game. The clips, which show scenes of chaos and victims, are used to represent civilian casualties in a fictional North Korean invasion scenario. Families stated the use of the harrowing footage is distressing to those who witnessed or participated in the rescue efforts. Activision acknowledged using actual news footage to convey the fictional story, asserting no intention to trivialize the tragedy.