Activision says Modern Warfare 4 Itaewon footage will be removed November 12

Activision says it will remove material that MBC identified as footage from the 2022 Itaewon disaster from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 in an update scheduled for November 12, 2026.

As of October 31, the removal was a promised future change, not a patch that had already gone live. The commitment comes from a statement Activision sent to MBC News after the broadcaster reported on the footage and objections from bereaved families.

What Activision has promised and when

In its statement to MBC, Activision apologized to bereaved families, victims and others distressed by the footage. The publisher said it had not intended to evoke the Itaewon disaster or trivialize the pain associated with it.

“문제가 된 영상 자료는 오는 11월 12일 배포될 게임 업데이트를 통해 전면 삭제 조치될 예정”

“The video material at issue is scheduled to be completely removed through the game update to be distributed on November 12.” — TheDashDouble’s translation of Activision’s Korean-language statement published by MBC

The future-tense wording is important. Activision announced a date for the removal, but the October 30 report did not establish that the change had already been deployed. Unless Activision changes the schedule, implementation should be confirmed through the update itself or its accompanying patch notes on or after November 12.

Why bereaved families called for its removal

MBC reported on October 27 that video used in the game matched footage from the 2022 Itaewon disaster. The broadcaster cited comparisons of the framing and positions visible in emergency-response scenes. It also reported that Activision had acknowledged using some real news footage to establish the game’s story.

TheDashDouble is not reproducing or describing the disputed imagery in detail because of the sensitive subject matter.

Bereaved families and civic groups subsequently demanded that the scene be deleted. In a joint statement covered by MBC on October 28, the groups criticized the use of disaster material in an entertainment game as inappropriate and insensitive. They also raised concerns about its potential effect on people who participated in or witnessed rescue efforts.

What remains unexplained

Activision’s reported commitment answers the immediate question of whether the publisher intends to act: it says the material will be completely removed through the November 12 update.

The statement reported by MBC does not explain what players will see in its place, if anything. It does not say whether the sequence will be replaced or edited without replacement, and it does not establish whether the update will reach every platform and region simultaneously.

The available reporting also does not establish the footage’s licensing status, its exact source chain or the internal review and clearance process that led to its inclusion. It would therefore be inaccurate to characterize the material as unauthorized, stolen or infringing based on the evidence currently available.

Those unanswered questions are notable because Activision’s official announcement describes Modern Warfare 4 as a fictional conflict following a full-scale North Korean invasion of South Korea. That fictional premise does not explain how footage associated with a real disaster came to be used in the campaign.

What players should expect next

• Before November 12: The removal remains an announced future change.
• On or after November 12: The update and any accompanying patch notes should be checked to confirm that the removal has been implemented on each platform.
• Still unanswered: Activision has not publicly explained what will replace the material, how it entered the game or whether it will provide a fuller account through its own channels.

For now, the most specific confirmed commitment is the one Activision made in its statement to MBC: complete removal through the update scheduled for November 12.