COD Modern Warfare 4 uses real news footage from South Korean tragedy, is urged by families to remove it
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has drawn criticism for including archive footage from the Itaewon crowd crush in its opening sequence. The tragedy, which occurred on October 29, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea, killed over 150 people during a crowd surge in a narrow alley in the Itaewon district during Halloween celebrations. Families of the victims have urged Activision to remove the footage, citing the sensitivity of using real footage from a recent mass casualty event without consent from those affected. The inclusion raises questions about ethical boundaries in game development regarding the depiction and use of real-world tragedies in commercial media. The Itaewon crowd crush remains one of South Korea’s deadliest disasters in recent history, making the decision to feature it prominently in a major video game particularly contentious. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between preserving factual historical documentation and respecting the grief of affected families and communities.