Activision and Electronic Arts have settled their differences, but the Infinity Ward lawsuit goes on.
The lawsuit over Activision’s dismissal of Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella is less than two weeks from a courtroom, but one big player in the game will no longer be taking part. Activision announced last night that it has reached a settlement with rival publisher Electronic Arts, which it added to the dispute over claims that it “set out to destabilize, disrupt and to attempt to destroy Infinity Ward,” the studio behind the monster Modern Warfare series.
“Activision and Electronic Arts have decided to put this matter behind them,” Activision attorney Beth Wilkinson said in a statement. Details of the settlement were not revealed, but Robert Schwartz, a lawyer for West and Zampella, said the settlement is proof that EA – and, by extension, his clients – did not behave inappropriately.
“Activision dragged EA into the case hoping to distract from Activision’s wretched conduct towards West and Zampella,” he said. “In dismissing EA today, Activision admits that it was never going to convince anyone that EA conspired with West and Zampella to breach their contracts or did anything else improper.”
EA may be out but the ugly, convoluted lawsuit will carry on, as the Infinity Ward co-founders claim they’re still owed millions in unpaid bonuses, while Activision seeks damages for the havoc caused by their sudden departure from the studio they founded. Wilkinson, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who took part in the trial against Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, took over as Activision’s lead attorney on May 10 and requested a 30-day delay in the trial to give her time to catch up. That request was denied, however, and the case will begin on May 29.
Source: Bloomberg
