Activision apologizes over Itaewon footage in CoD
Game released
23 October 2026
Platforms
Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Real disaster
29 October 2022, Itaewon, Seoul
Lives lost
159 people
Footage in game
~3 seconds (CPR scene from news broadcast)
Removal update
12 November 2026
"We deeply apologize to the victims and their bereaved families who must have suffered, as well as to everyone who we have caused concern. The footage will be removed in our update set to be rolled out on Nov. 12.
"Activision Publishing statement
What the footage was and why it caused harm
The opening cinematic of Modern Warfare 4 places players inside a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. To establish scale, the sequence used approximately three seconds of broadcast news footage showing emergency responders performing CPR on a victim of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush — the fourth anniversary of which fell on 29 October 2026. The 10.29 Itaewon Bereaved Families Association said: "Using such an incident as material for a game intended for entertainment purposes is itself highly inappropriate and a senseless act." Activision said the real footage was intended to create a "realistic and immersive" fictional narrative, not to trivialise any tragedy.
What happens next
Activision formal apology issued (30 October 2026)
Removal patch confirmed for 12 November 2026
Bereaved families say they have not yet received a direct apology from Activision
Korean Game Users Association monitoring follow-through on removal
Families plan signature drive with foreign bereaved families attending Seoul memorial
Sources: Activision statement to MBC/Korea Times (30 Oct 2026); BBC Newsbeat (11:27 UTC 30 Oct); Korea Herald (08:19 UTC 30 Oct); SBS News Korea; Shacknews; 10.29 Itaewon Bereaved Families Association statement (28 Oct 2026). Cover: Seoul skyline at night, CC0, Wikimedia Commons (mauveine.kim, 2018). Last updated 12:00 UTC 30 October 2026.
