Activision will remove video footage of the Itaewon crowd crush used in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' (hereinafter 'Modern Warfare 4') in an update on November 12. Activision released an official statement on the 30th, apologizing to the bereaved families and victims. This comes one week after the game's release and two days after issuing its first statement.
Activision stated, "'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' is a work of fiction created to provide realistic immersion," adding, "We make it clear that in using actual news broadcast footage within the game, we never intended to evoke or trivialize any tragic event, including the Itaewon crowd crush."
The company continued, "The video footage in question will be completely removed through a game update scheduled for distribution on November 12," and stated, "We bow our heads in deep sympathy and apology to the bereaved families and victims who were deeply hurt by this incident, as well as to everyone we have caused concern."
Mentions of sanctions even emerged from the government. During a press briefing on the 29th, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung characterized the inclusion of the Itaewon tragedy footage in 'Call of Duty' as "secondary harm" and said, "I believe appropriate sanctions should be imposed."
Minister Yun pointed out, "(The Itaewon tragedy) is a social disaster, and from the perspective of individuals or families, it is the grief of losing beloved family members," adding, "Using such a tragedy as material for a game, a form of entertainment or business, is something that should be refrained from as a matter of human ethics." He added, "Whether to impose punishment or block it to make general access difficult is a decision that relevant agencies should make."
