It has just been announced that Activision is being sued by senior members of OpTic Gaming for its alleged monopoly and ‘stranglehold’ over the Call of Duty esports scene. In an article that surfaced in Bloomberg Law, it was stated that the lawsuit, which was filed yesterday, comes following years of intense restrictions, extortionate costs, and the fostering of an anticompetitive ecosystem.
The lawsuit was filed primarily by Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner of OpTic Gaming, and it was stated that $680 million in damages is being sought.
Monopoly by all Accounts
In the lawsuit, it was claimed that Activision holds a strict monopoly over everything to do with the Call of Duty esports scene, from the sponsorships teams can take to the tournaments that can be held. Originally, the top-tier tournament in the space, the Call of Duty League, was formed to replace the Call of Duty World League, with the inaugural season taking place in 2020.
However, the new league was despised by fans from the outset, with Activision charging organisations an eye-watering sum of $27.5 million to secure one of the prestigious slots, franchising the league and moving away from the more open format that had existed before.
Now, teams impacted by Activision’s iron fist on the COD esports scene have filed a $680 million lawsuit, which was immediately met with staunch resistance from Activision’s representatives:
Mr. Rodriguez (aka OpTic H3CZ) and Mr. Abner (aka Scump) demanded that Activision pay them tens of millions of dollars to avoid this meritless litigation, and when their demands were not met, they filed. We will strongly defend against these claims, which have no basis in fact or in law.
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.
In one of the most damning claims in the lawsuit, it was alleged that the Call of Duty League ‘impermissibly enriched Activision at the expense of the professional Call of Duty players and the teams now under Activision’s thumb.‘
Recently, Microsoft laid off thousands of employees, including hundreds of Activision Blizzard employees, stripping the esports teams down to a skeleton crew. Last year, the Overwatch League – which was seen as the sister tournament to the Call of Duty League – collapsed. Is there a similar situation in store for Call of Duty, and will the weight of this lawsuit fracture the CDL beyond all recognition?
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Activision Blizzard games are coming to Game Pass
