Activision Is Being Sued for $680 Million

Major game publisher Activision is currently being sued by a Call of Duty esports team for perpetuating an alleged monopoly over its competitive scene. The Call of Duty games are a hit among pro FPS players, which is why they are crying out over the way the company has been handling tournaments and organized play.

Activision's top-tier Call of Duty organized play is currently concentrated in the Call of Duty League, which replaced the Call of Duty World League back in 2020. This new organization followed the format of sister company Blizzard's Overwatch League, which itself took after other professional sports by having city-based franchises. While it didn't take long for fans to sour on the new league, it had been the only option for high-level play since it was established.

OpTic Texas's Hector «H3CZ» Rodriguez and Seth «Scump» Abner have filed a lawsuit against Activision, looking for a whopping $680 million in damages after they had alleged that the publisher had essentially turned the pro Call of Duty scene into its monopoly. In their lawsuit, the players claimed that Activision held too much control over high-level professional Call of Duty and both franchises and players, enriching the company while the pros did the hard work.

The main complaint against Activision is that it allegedly forced pro Call of Duty players to flock to its own league by blocking other organizations, and then allegedly charged franchises an exorbitant sum of $27.5 million to participate. In turn, this move is said to have barred the players and teams from making money off of brand sponsorships and endorsements. Among many allegations, Rodriguez, who owns OpTic Gaming (which has the Texas franchise), claims that he was forced to partner with investors who wanted a 92.5% ownership stake in his company, and then pay the fee to join the Call of Duty League.

Most of all, Activision is accused of not seeking consultation or approval from players for its new esports setup. According to the