Activision, the company behind Call of Duty, will remove footage of a deadly crowd crush in South Korea from its latest video game following complaints from victims’ families.

The company announced the decision on Friday after relatives of those killed in the 2022 Itaewon disaster condemned the use of real-life images showing dead and injured victims in Modern Warfare 4.

The footage, which included people being carried on stretchers, body bags on the streets and rescue workers trying to save lives, was used in the opening scene of the game to show a fictional invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

Activision apologised to the victims’ families and others affected, saying the footage would be removed in an update scheduled for November 12.

The company admitted using actual news footage of the disaster but said it never intended to make light of the tragedy or disrespect those who lost their lives.

The families had described the use of the footage as insensitive, saying it brought back painful memories of the disaster.

In a statement, they said many people who witnessed the incident or took part in rescue efforts were still dealing with the trauma.

“We cannot help but be appalled that the chaotic and desperate scene, in which many citizens at the site performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the freezing street, was used to create a scene in a game,” they said.

They described the use of the tragedy for entertainment as inappropriate and unacceptable.

The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association welcomed the decision to remove the footage but told the BBC that Activision had not yet apologised to it directly.

The disaster occurred in October 2022 when more than 100,000 people gathered in the Itaewon district of Seoul for Halloween celebrations.

The crowd became trapped in narrow streets and alleys, leaving many unable to move or breathe. Almost 160 people died.

The latest controversy has also added to criticism of Modern Warfare 4 over its storyline, which is based on a fictional invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

The two countries remain technically at war because the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

At the launch of the game, Call of Duty’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tyler Bahl, told BBC Newsbeat that the production should be viewed as entertainment.