Call of Duty under fire for using real footage of 2022 tragedy that killed over 150 in South Korea | Trending

The maker of Call of Duty is facing fierce backlash in South Korea after people discovered real-life footage of the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush inside the game’s latest instalment. The bereaved families’ council and a coalition of civic groups have formally demanded that maker removes the clips from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. They condemned the studio for a "complete lack of sensitivity" toward a tragedy that claimed over 150 lives.

Visitors walks past a Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 4 placard during the preview night of Paris Games Week 2026 in Paris. (AFP)What does the game footage show?The seconds-long footage in the opening moments of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 represents a scenario that depicts the aftermath of a full-scale North Korean invasion of the South.

The real-life footage of chaos, with a figure performing CPR on a victim lying in the street, is used to represent civilian casualties in the game. Another piece of footage shows rows of bodies laid out in the road.

"We cannot help but be appalled that the chaotic and desperate scene, in which many citizens at the site performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the freezing street, was used as it was to create a scene in a game," the bereaved families said in a statement, reported the BBC.

"Using such an event as material for a game made for entertainment is in itself highly inappropriate and senseless.”

The coalition said, "If the game developer has even a minimum of courtesy and empathy towards the victims, it should take corrective action without delay."

Activision is the main company and long-time publisher of the Call of Duty series.

The company confirmed that it used the real-life footage in the game. However, added that it had "not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form".

A spokesperson for the company said, “In developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, we approached the subject matter with care and respect," adding, "The game's opening cinematic utilises some real world news coverage to establish the game's fictional narrative.”

However, the BBC reported that the company has not yet responded to the demands to remove the footage from the game.

On October 29, 2022, a horrific crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon nightlife district claimed more than 150 lives. This year marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster.

The disaster occurred when more than 100,000 people descended on the area during Halloween weekend. The tragedy struck when the massive surge forced thousands into a narrow, steeply sloped alleyway, causing victims to get trapped, leaving many unable to breathe.

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More