Modern Warfare 4 will cut real Itaewon disaster footage on November 12

Activision says it will remove footage of a real-life tragedy from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 in an update on November 12. The decision follows criticism from the families of people who died in the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul.

What was in the game

According to PC Gamer, the game's opening cinematic used clips of rescue efforts after the Seoul crowd crush, which killed 160 people in 2022. The footage was used to represent the immediate aftermath of a North Korean invasion.

That invasion is fictional. Modern Warfare 4's Steam listing describes a war that erupts on the Korean Peninsula when North Korea launches an invasion. The crowd crush, however, was real.

Push Square reports that news footage of the disaster was used to illustrate that invasion, and that victims' families reacted angrily when it emerged. Its headline describes the footage as "appalling".

The tragedy

GameSpot notes that the Seoul Halloween crowd crush happened in October 2022 in Itaewon. Approximately 100,000 people gathered in a narrow alleyway, and people were suffocated, resulting in 160 casualties. This year is the fourth anniversary, and GameSpot says bereaved families and community organisers are gathering to remember those who were lost.

What Activision is doing

Push Square says Activision has apologised and promised to remove the footage. GameSpot reports that the publisher has said the incident will be removed from the game in the November 12 update.

The reports don't say what will take the footage's place in the opening cinematic, so that detail is still unknown.

About the game

Modern Warfare 4's Steam listing gives a release date of October 22, 2026, with Activision as publisher. Its developer list includes Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software, among others.

Until the November 12 update arrives, the footage remains in the game.