The American computer game publisher announced that it would remove footage of the Seoul tragedy from the shooter "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4." NBC News writes about this, reports UNN.
Details
"American video game publisher Activision announced on Friday (October 30) that it was removing controversial footage from its recently released game "Call of Duty" following a wave of outrage in South Korea sparked by the inclusion of real footage from the tragic crush during the 2022 Halloween celebrations in Seoul," the publication writes.
The world premiere of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4," which took place last week, came just days before the anniversary of the tragedy that occurred on October 29 in Itaewon, a nightlife district of the South Korean capital, where a crowd of tens of thousands of partygoers surged uncontrollably into a narrow alley, resulting in the deaths of nearly 160 people.
The game, set against the backdrop of a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korean territory, contains approximately 10 seconds of heavily edited footage of the tragedy to illustrate what the aftermath of a Pyongyang attack might look like, although it makes no direct reference to the Itaewon crush.
Groups representing the families of the crush victims demanded that the footage be removed, saying it was horrific that the game directly recreated real scenes of people performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation "while victims lie on the cold streets amid chaos and despair."
"If the game developer has even the slightest sense of respect and compassion for the victims of the Itaewon disaster, it must take immediate action to rectify the situation," the Association of the Families of the Deceased said in a statement.
Activision apologized in its statement and said that the footage would be completely removed as part of a game update scheduled for release on November 12.
"This game is a work of fiction created to provide a realistic and immersive gaming experience," the studio said in a statement sent to South Korean state broadcaster MBC.
The scandal erupted as the families of the deceased are still awaiting answers as to why the authorities were unable to prevent the disaster four years ago. As part of the investigation, which is still ongoing, nearly two dozen officials have been charged, while three former police officers have been imprisoned.
Additional information
On Friday, October 23, the long-awaited release of the shooter "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" took place on PC and consoles. It was developed by the American company Infinity Ward and published by Activision.
The Modern Warfare 4 campaign focuses on a war between North and South Korea. Following the events of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), an invasion of the Korean Peninsula by the Korean People's Army threatens to destabilize the peace.
The plot centers on two main characters: Private Park (Yang Mazino), a South Korean recruit who fights side by side with his unit to defend his homeland, and Captain John Price (Barry Sloane), a former commander of Task Force 141 who is on the run after killing U.S. General Hershel Shepard.