Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 tops Korean chart amid intense interest

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a first-person shooter game set in a fictional second Korean War, ranked No. 1 on Steam's top sales chart for South Korea on its release day on Friday.

Developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, the title has amassed intense attention online not only from gamers but also from a broader audience curious about its portrayal of a North Korean invasion into South Korea.  

It launched on Friday in Korea for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. It had already spent six consecutive days at No. 1 on Steam’s global top-sellers list after campaign early access opened on Oct. 17, as of 5 p.m. on Oct. 19.

The campaign follows two storylines. In the first, players fight as Pvt. Park Hyun-jun, played by Korean American actor Young Mazino, a South Korean Marine, through a fictional war that begins with a full-scale North Korean invasion.

The second follows Capt. John Price, a recurring series character who is now an outlaw, through missions in New York, Paris and Mumbai. Infinity Ward co-studio head Jack O’Hara told a press briefing that the studio “decided to go to Korea” to refresh the series.

As of Oct. 23, 5:49 p.m., 89 percent of the game's 308 Korean-using Steam user reviews were positive.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]