This past week was a public relations nightmare for Activision. The company terminated the contracts of Jason West and Vince Zampella, the popular studio heads at Infinity Ward. West and Zampella, late Wednesday night, filed a lawsuit against Activision, claiming Activision breached their contract and they were wrongfully terminated. This incident is problematic for Activision, as both West and Zampella are well-liked and well-known for their work that spawned numerous games across multiple platforms.
Late yesterday, Activision released an official statement on the matter. They first said they were “disappointed” by West and Zampella’s lawsuit, and they firmly believe the duo’s claims are “meritless”:
Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless. Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth.
In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honor their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience, it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of conduct and actions. Activision remains committed to the Call of Duty franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative games for its millions of fans.
Only time will tell whether this move will spell doom for the Call of Duty series. As this is a billion dollar game series, it can be assumed that Activision will do everything in their power to ensure the IP stays in their hands. Stick with PlayStation LifeStyle, as we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest news in this developing situation.
