Call of Duty game developers that were fired by Activision head to EA
Two Activision Blizzard developers, fired for breach of contract after allegedly meeting with a rival about starting a new studio, agreed to produce games for rival Electronic Arts. Jason West and Vince Zampella, creators of Activision’s “Call of Duty” combat franchise, are starting a studio called Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts said Monday in a statement. West and Zampella will own the titles they create, with Electronic Arts serving as distributor.
West and Zampella sued Activision in March for wrongful termination, saying they were fired so the company could avoid making royalty payments related to “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” the top-selling game of 2009. Activision countersued on April 9, accusing them of talking with an unidentified competitor while still under contract. “We were fired from Activision and the next day our e-mail and phone lit up with interest from publishers,” Zampella said in an interview. The two chose Electronic Arts “because of the freedom it gave us,” he said.
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