Activision has been under the firing line for quite some time now due to the numerous bugs and problems present in their biggest franchise, Call of Duty. Despite the problems, it remains one of the largest games in the eSports scenario, with multiple big-money tournaments taking place every year.
However, now they have been accused of tampering with the tournaments as well. The owners of the eSports team OpTic have sued the Call of Duty developers over claims that they run a monopoly on the tournaments, removing any other competition that existed before.
Call of Duty team owner slaps $680 million lawsuit on Activision
Team OpTic owner Hector Rodriguez and retired eSports player Seth Abner filed the lawsuit against Activision, which demands the removal of monopolistic practices and unrealistic restrictions put in place, as reported by Variety.
Teams willing to participate in the league have to pay a hefty sum of $27.5 million. That is very high considering the top payouts from the competitions. Hector states that he had to put his ownership at stake simply by putting his team on the list.
There are no competitors to the Call of Duty League, as Activision bought off the last company that managed the COD competitions. Plus, only 12 teams are allowed to compete, a number that Hector believes is too low. No sponsorships or collaborations are allowed, denying the team revenue when signing up with brands.
Furthermore, teams cannot participate in any other leagues. The revenue generated by the CDL is shared in half between Activision and the participating teams.
The COD makers do not seem to agree with this. According to an Activision representative, the whole lawsuit is merciless. He quoted, “We are disappointed that these members of the esports community would bring this suit, which is disruptive to team owners, players, fans, and partners who have invested so much time and energy into the Call of Duty League’s success.”
Activision also sued over Mara
Back in 2021, Activision was under the pump for copyright infringement. A writer named Clayton Haugen claimed that the developer used his intellectual property to create an in-game character. The operator known as Mara bore striking resemblance to Hagen’s character Cade Janus from his short film November Renaissance.
He stated that Activision hired the same actress and make-up artists to recreate the same look as Cade. The actress who played Cade, Alex Zedra, signed a non-disclosure agreement to appear in the role in the Modern Warfare reboot released in 2019. Both parties later agreed on a settlement, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
Activision’s trouble does not seem to end, with multiple lawsuits in recent years. But what is your personal take on this? Make sure to let us know in the comments section.
