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Real-world disaster footage in Modern Warfare 4 opening cinematic will be removed following complaints from victims' families
Clips of rescue efforts following a crowd crush in Seoul that killed 160 people in 2022 was used to represent the immediate aftermath of a North Korean invasion.
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A Korea Herald report says the opening cinematic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be edited to remove video clips of a real-world disaster in South Korea that left 160 people dead.
The Seoul Halloween crowd crush occurred in October 2022 during Halloween celebrations in the city's Itaewon neighborhood, when a crowd surge in the narrow streets and alleys resulted in 160 deaths and left nearly 200 more injured. The opening cinematic of Modern Warfare 4 uses footage from that disaster to portray the immediate aftermath of a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea, the basis of the game's story.
Activision said the use of the video was not meant to "reference or trivialize" the actual event, but merely "to establish the game's fictional narrative." A statement released by families of victims reported by the BBC, however, said "using such an event as material for a game made for entertainment is in itself highly inappropriate and senseless," and added that if Activision "has even a minimum of courtesy and empathy towards the victims, it should take corrective action without delay."
That's now set to happen, as Activision has released a statement saying it will remove the footage from the game and apologized for using it. "We offer our deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the bereaved families, victims and everyone who has been deeply hurt or distressed by this incident." the publisher said.
However, there will be some delay before that happens: The Modern Warfare 4 opening cinematic will be changed in an update set to roll out on November 12.
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.