The controversy highlights the need for game developers to be sensitive to real-life tragedies and their impact on those affected.
The latest Call of Duty game has sparked backlash over footage from South Korea’s deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush and a fictional war scenario that a local civic group has condemned as “American psychological warfare.”
Modern Warfare 4, released by Activision on October 23, introduces its campaign, centered around a fictional North Korean invasion, using seconds-long clips from the infamous Itaewon disaster. The October 29, 2022 incident left more than 150 people dead after Halloween crowds became trapped in a narrow alley in Seoul’s nightlife district.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is facing backlash from Koreans for allegedly using footage from the actual Itaewon crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives, in the game. They reportedly included footage of people performing CPR at the actual disaster site and recreated a similar scene in the game.
Relatives of the victims responded to the game release, which came just days before the fourth-year anniversary of the tragic event, by demanding the scenes be removed from cinematics. In a joint statement, bereaved families and civic groups condemned the inclusion as “highly inappropriate and insensitive,” stressing that witnesses and people involved in rescue efforts continue to suffer trauma.
The Korea Game Users Association also demanded an explanation, apology, and replacement footage, while opposing censorship or unjustified restrictions on games. The controversy highlights the need for game developers to be sensitive to real-life tragedies and their impact on those affected.
