Editing Infinity Ward (section)

===2010 employee firings and departures===
Following the critical and financially successful release of ''[[Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare]]'' in 2007, Jason West (president, co-CCO, and CTO) and Vince Zampella (CEO) began contract negotiations with Activision. They promised to deliver ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2]]'' in 2009, but in exchange asked for extremely large bonuses and creative control of the ''Call of Duty'' series. Activision agreed, but added a clause to the contract that should they be fired, the rights to ''Call of Duty'' would fall back to Activision.<ref name="vg if respawn">{{cite web | url = https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2013/06/lawsuit-video-game-activision-zampella-west | title = MODERN WARFARE | first = Max | last= Chafkin | date=  June 11, 2013 | access-date = January 2, 2020 | work = [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] }}</ref>

Following the execution of the contract in 2008, Activision began seeking ways to find reason to fire West and Zampella to trigger the new clause. This in turn led to West and Zampella look to means to make Infinity Ward a studio outside of Activision's control.<ref name="vg if respawn"/> Events came to a head in February 2010 when Activision hired a lawfirm to investigate Infinity Ward. On March 1, 2010, West and Zampella were released by Activision for "insubordination", forfeiting the bonuses they had negotiated.<ref name="vg if respawn"/> The pair went on to form [[Respawn Entertainment]] in April 2010 as an independent studio, through working closely with EA on a yet-announced project (revealed in 2013 as [[Titanfall (video game)|Titanfall]]). Several dozen of Infinity Ward's employees resigned in the following months, many taking up positions at Respawn.<ref name="cyn-IW">{{cite web|url=http://www.cynicalsmirk.com/who_remains_at_infinity_ward.html |title=Who Remains At Infinity Ward ? |publisher=Cynicalsmirk.com |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179080 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720160613/http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179080 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=Who Remains at Infinity Ward? |publisher=cynicalsmirk.com |date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2010 }}</ref>

West and Zampella had been replaced on an interim basis by Activision CTO Steve Pearce and head of production Steve Ackrich.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gonzalez |first=Annette |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/02/activision-announces-new-plans-for-cod.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720204948/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/02/activision-announces-new-plans-for-cod.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=Activision's Future Plans For Call Of Duty Call For New Developer – News |publisher=GameInformer |date=March 2, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> By November 2010, Activision had installed new management at Infinity Ward, and Vivendi chairman and CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy stated that Infinity Ward "got over" their problems and are fully reconstructed and that Activision is very happy with the result. The executive went on to say that there will be three studios working on the ''Call of Duty'' franchise including the newly formed studio Sledgehammer Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6284314.html|title=Infinity Ward 'reconstructed' – Vivendi CEO|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc|work=GameSpot|author=Tor Thorsen|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=March 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2b4555c8-f3d3-11df-901e-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1OovUy38j
 |title        = Vivendi sees continued success for COD franchise
 |author       = Tim Bradshaw
 |date         = November 19, 2010
 |publisher    = Financial Times
 |location     = Barcelona
 |archive-url  = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210181252/https://www.ft.com/content/2b4555c8-f3d3-11df-901e-00144feab49a#ixzz1OovUy38j
 |archive-date = December 10, 2022
 |url-status   = live
 |url-access   = subscription
 |access-date  = June 9, 2011
}}</ref>

Several lawsuits followed in the wake of West and Zampella's departure. The pair themselves initially filed suit against Activision shortly after their release to reclaim "substantial royalty payments" that Activision failed to pay them in the weeks leading up to their firing, estimated to be {{USD|36 million}};<ref name="vg if respawn"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Reilly |first=Jim |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1074211p1.html |title=Infinity Ward Founders File Lawsuit Against Activision |publisher=IGN |date=March 4, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref><ref name="IW v. Activision">{{cite web|last=Kollar |first=Phil |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/01/news-what-s-going-down-at-infinity-ward.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305221734/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/01/news-what-s-going-down-at-infinity-ward.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |title=UPDATE: Infinity Ward Vs. Activision |publisher=GameInformer |date=March 1, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Veto power">{{cite web|url=http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4556-Future-Modern-Warfare-Releases-Could-Be-Vetoed-By-West-and-Zampella.html |title=Future Modern Warfare Releases Could Be Vetoed By West and Zampella |publisher=Xbox360Achievements |date=March 4, 2010 |first=Richard |last=Walker |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> this figure eventually rose to over {{USD|1 billion}} by May 2012, based on Activision's filings with the [[United States Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.develop-online.net/news/40829/West-Zampella-claim-grows-to-1bn | title = West-Zampella claim grows to '$1bn' | first = Seth | last = Tipps | date = May 17, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120520135910/http://www.develop-online.net/news/40829/West-Zampella-claim-grows-to-1bn | archive-date = May 20, 2012 }}</ref> Activision countersued the pair in April 2010, calling their actions to fire them justified and asserting the two were "self-serving schemers".<ref>{{cite web |last=Reilly |first=Jim |url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1082893p1.html |title=Activision Countersues Former Infinity Ward Execs |publisher=IGN |date=April 9, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-date=June 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616231947/http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1082893p1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Activision amended its suit in December 2010 to include EA as a defendant, stating that their competitor had worked with West and Zampella to "destabilize, disrupt and ... destroy Infinity Ward", and sought {{USD|400 million}} in damages.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-dec-23-la-fi-1223-ct-activision-20101223-story.html
| title       = Activision sues Electronic Arts, seeks $400 million over Infinity Ward game studio
| author      = Alex Pham
| date        = December 23, 2010
| work   = Los Angeles Times
| access-date  = June 9, 2011
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/activision-claims-ea-and-former-iw-execs-schemed-to-inflict-ser
| title       = Activision claims EA and former IW execs schemed to 'inflict serious harm on the company'
| author      = Christopher Grant
| date        = December 21, 2010
| publisher   = Joystiq
| access-date  = June 9, 2011
}}</ref> Separately, several former and current members of Infinity Ward under the name "Infinity Ward Employee Group" (IWEG) sued Activision for between {{USD|75 – 125 million}} for unpaid bonuses for work on ''Modern Warfare 2'' and an additional {{USD|75–500 million}} in punitive damages.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ryckert |first=Dan |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/04/27/new-iw-acti-lawsuit.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430120902/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/04/27/new-iw-acti-lawsuit.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=April 30, 2010 |title=Activision Sued By New "Infinity Ward Employee Group" |publisher=GameInformer |date=April 27, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Reilly |first=Jim |url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1086448p1.html |title=Infinity Ward Group Sues Activision For Unpaid Bonuses |publisher=IGN |date=April 27, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> Ultimately by May 2012, Activision had settled with the IWEG for {{USD|42 million}},<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/activision-pays-42-million-to-infinity-ward-employee-group/ | title = Activision pays $42 million to Infinity Ward Employee Group | first = JC | last = Fletcher | date =May 15, 2012 | access-date = January 2, 2020 | work = [[Engadget]] }}</ref> while private settlements were separately reached between Activision and EA, and between Activision, West and Zampella.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/west-zampella-settle-with-activision-in-infinity-ward-lawsuit/ | title=  West, Zampella settle with Activision in Infinity Ward lawsuit | first = Jessica | last =Conditt | date = May 31, 2012 | access-date = January 2, 2020 | work = [[Engadget]] }}</ref>