Activision fights Back, Sues Former ‘Modern Warfare’ execs

By Ian Bell Published April 11, 2010

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Activision has countersued two former studio heads overseeing the blockbuster game “Modern Warfare 2,” claiming they were insubordinate and tried to damage the company.

The lawsuit filed Thursday is in response to a claim by former Infinity Ward executives Jason West and Vince Zampella, who sued Activision for more than $36 million earlier this year.

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Activision’s suit claims West and Zampella held up development on other “Call of Duty” games to try to gain more money. The company is seeking to withhold additional payments to the men, who they claim also kept bonuses from Infinity Ward employees.

West and Zampella’s attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message Friday.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” was one of last year’s best-selling video games.

News dropped in March of this year that Activision would be firing the two employees citing insubordination. Quickly following their departure, both executives followed up with a lawsuit claiming the two were let go so Activision could stop having to pay royalties. The mud is still fresh and the slinging has just begun.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the latest addition to the award-winning franchise that most of us have been playing for well over a decade. Beyond the enhanced graphics, refined mechanics, and new gameplay features, one of the biggest draws to the COD world has always been online multiplayer. Not only does multiplayer return for MW3, but there’s more to love about the competitive space than ever before.

But not everyone owns the same version of Call of Duty. Some of us are playing on our next-gen consoles, while others are rocking gaming PCs. So what does this mean when it comes time to join others online? Does MW3 support cross-platform gameplay? The answer is a bit more complex, but here’s all the facts.
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In October 2023, Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and by the end of the year, the latter company's CEO had departed. Now, this will be the year where we’ll see how Activision Blizzard functions when fully integrated into Microsoft. The most immediate change for those who play games will likely be Activision Blizzard titles coming to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.

Microsoft and Activision have explained that because of the tribulations the acquisition encountered, it was impossible to have Xbox Game Pass additions prepared almost immediately after the acquisition, as it did with ZeniMax Media. In the coming months, I expect we’ll finally start to see Activision Blizzard games trickle onto the service, even if we shouldn't expect it from this week's Developer_Direct. As Activision Blizzard is one of the oldest game publishers out there, having released hundreds of games, there are plenty of titles to choose from. I’ve cherry-picked the ones I want to see most.
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Modern Warfare 3 CODMAS: event dates, rewards, and more

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is letting you get in on the holiday spirit early this year with its CODMAS event full of new maps, modes, rewards, and more. This limited-time event has new content to experience all across the Call of Duty suite, from traditional multiplayer to Warzone and Zombies. While you could just experience the holiday cheer, there are a ton of special rewards and things to see before it ends that may never come back to the game. Check out all the details on the CODMAS event so you can write up your wishlist before visiting Santa Gnaws himself when it begins.
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CODMAS officially kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, December 19, and will end at 8 a.m. PT on January 3, 2024; that gives you 15 days total to enjoy the event.
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