Activision to remove Itaewon footage from Modern Warfare 4 on November 12
The publisher apologized to victims and bereaved families in an October 30 statement and said the game never intended to evoke any real tragedy.
Activision said it will remove footage of the Itaewon crowd crush from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 entirely in a game update scheduled for November 12, according to inven.co.kr. The publisher announced the change alongside an official statement issued on October 30.
In the statement, Activision apologized to the bereaved families and victims. The company said the game is a fictional work and that it never intended to evoke any tragic event, including the Itaewon disaster, or to make light of the pain.
The October 30 statement came one week after the game's release and two days after Activision's first statement on the matter.
Government criticism preceded the apology
On October 29, South Korea's Minister of the Interior and Safety called the use of the Itaewon crowd crush footage in Call of Duty a "secondary victimization" at a press briefing, and said appropriate sanctions should follow. The minister said punishment or blocking would be decided by the relevant agencies.
Quick answers
When will the Itaewon footage be removed from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4?
Activision said the footage will be removed entirely in a game update scheduled for November 12.
Did Activision apologize?
Yes. Activision issued an official statement on October 30 apologizing to the bereaved families and victims.