Activision to Remove Itaewon Tragedy Scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 After Korean Families' Backlash

Activision will remove a segment from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 that depicts a crowd crush resembling the 2022 Itaewon disaster in Seoul, following criticism from bereaved families and advocacy groups. The scene, shown in the game's opening cinematic, includes CPR on a downed person and bodies on stretchers amid a chaotic crowd, which critics said trivialized the real tragedy that killed 160 people. The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting called the inclusion 'highly inappropriate' and demanded removal. Activision apologized, stating the scene was based on real-world news footage to establish the fictional Korea war narrative and was not intended to reference the disaster. The update is scheduled for November 12. The move highlights ongoing sensitivity around using real tragedies in entertainment, especially as Korea marks the fourth anniversary of the crush.