"It’s time to go home boys."
This week has witnessed the conclusion of one of the industry’s messiest legal dramas. As reported by Polygon, erstwhile Call of Duty developers Jason West and Vince Zampella have made peace with their former employer Activision. The Infinity Ward founders had been suing the world’s largest publisher for unfair dismissal and (along with 38 former studio colleagues) unpaid bonuses.
Far from backing down, Activision countersued the pair, along with their new publishing partner EA, claiming breach of contract. Just as the parties began to face off in court, however, it seems that cooler heads prevailed. According to the firm representing West and Zampella, settlement has now been reached “as to all parties and all claims”. We may never know how much money changed hands.
Activision and its subsidiaries will press ahead with November’s release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II while West and Zampella continue work on the first title from their new studio Respawn Entertainment.