Activision Faces Backlash Over Itaewon Crowd Crush Footage in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Activision has responded to criticism over the use of real-world footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea, in the opening cinematic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The footage, which shows a paramedic performing CPR on a person lying in the street, alongside shots of bodies on the ground and a person being carried away, has been met with outrage from bereaved families and civic groups. The crowd crush, which occurred on October 29, 2022, during Halloween celebrations, resulted in the loss of around 160 lives and left many more injured. The incident has been marked by the South Korean government and the public as a national tragedy. The use of the footage in the game has been seen as insensitive and disrespectful by many, with some calling for an apology from Activision and for the footage to be removed from the game. Activision has maintained that the footage was not intended to reference or trivialize the disaster, but rather to establish the scale of the game's fictional narrative. However, the company has not ruled out removing the footage in response to the backlash. The controversy has brought attention to the issue of how real-world tragedies are represented in fictional video games, and whether the use of such footage is ever acceptable. The incident has also highlighted the sensitivity and respect that game developers must show when incorporating real-world events into their games. While the use of real-world footage can add realism and depth to a game, it can also be hurtful and insensitive to those who have been affected by the events depicted.