Activision stated on October 28 that real news footage was used in the opening cinematic of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' (hereafter 'Modern Warfare 4'). Addressing concerns that footage from the October 29, 2022 Itaewon tragedy was included in the scene, the company explained that it had no intention of trivializing a real disaster.
The scene in question is a fictional news cutscene featured in the opening cinematic of the 'Modern Warfare 4' campaign, which was released on October 23. A segment lasting about three seconds in this cutscene depicts paramedics performing CPR during the Itaewon tragedy.
Activision explained, "Throughout development, we have treated the subject matter covered in the game with care. Certain real news footage in the opening cinematic was used as an element to convey the fictional story within the work." The company drew a line, adding, "We would like to clarify that we had absolutely no intention to reference or trivialize any real tragic events, including the Itaewon tragedy."
The Korea Game Users Association demanded that the footage be replaced. Lee Chul-woo, President of the Korea Game Users Association, stated, "There must be a clear explanation of the circumstances and an apology for using footage of a tragic disaster unrelated to the game's context, which has caused harm to bereaved families and others." He added, "We hope Activision Blizzard responds responsibly by listening to the voices of those affected and issuing an update to replace the footage."
The association requested that Activision take voluntary steps toward improvement, such as deleting or replacing the video and communicating with victims and bereaved families.
