Everyone must remember the turmoil caused after Infinity Ward founder West and Zampella were dismissed from their positions by Activision back in 2009. Well the legal disputes between the two parties have not yet stopped and a new dispute between the parties might effect the upcoming installment in the Call of Duty franchise. In the 'Memorandum of Understanding', filed in their settlement back in 2010 over lost wages and royalties, the rights to develop and distribute Call of Duty titles are solely reserved to Activision, but the rights to develop and distribute any Call of Duty title set in modern times (post Vietnam) and the near future are retained by Infinity Ward. The memorandum also states that should Ward and Zampella leave Activision, the terms and conditions will be dropped, but this is a clause that has to be ruled on by the court of law, and hence it might be ignored. Treyarch's upcoming title in the Call of Duty series is set in 2025 , and should West and Zampella win the case filed against the gaming giant, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 could be pulled from the shelves. After the recent announcement during the Basketball playoffs, pre orders of this title started rolling in, and as of today, they have proven to be record breaking numbers, making this lawsuit a huge headache for Activision.
Written By Matthew Cesareo