Publisher of Call Of Duty video game apologises over use of Itaewon crowd crush footage

SEOUL – US publisher Activision has formally apologised for using footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in its latest Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and said it will remove the footage entirely, according to MBC on Oct 30.In a statement sent to the Korean TV channel, Activision said the problematic footage would be completely removed through a game update scheduled for release on Nov 12.“We offer our deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the bereaved families, victims and everyone who has been deeply hurt or distressed by this incident,” the company said in a statement.Activision reiterated that the game is a work of fiction designed to deliver a realistic, immersive experience.It said the use of actual news footage in the game was not intended to evoke any tragic event, including the Itaewon disaster, or to downplay the suffering it caused.The move follows an outcry from families of the 159 victims of the Itaewon crowd crush, which occurred on Oct 29, 2022, after footage from the disaster was found in the latest Call Of Duty installment, which depicts a fictional all-out war on the Korean Peninsula.The bereaved families and civic groups expressed dismay and called for the footage to be removed. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORKThis article was produced with the assistance of AI.