Call of Duty Faces Backlash for Using Real Footage of 2022 Itaewon Tragedy
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has drawn criticism in South Korea for including real footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush that killed over 150 people. Bereaved families and civic groups condemned the use of the footage, calling it insensitive and demanding its removal. The clips appear in the game's opening sequence depicting a fictional North Korean invasion. Activision acknowledged using the footage but stated there was no intent to trivialize the tragedy and expressed regret over the distress caused.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (36/100). Lens Score 40/100.
Outlets measured: news18, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (28–45/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 30 Oct, 02:38 am. Other outlets followed.