Recently, it was discovered that OpTic Gaming (and some others) had filed a gargantuan lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. In a suit seeking a whopping $680 million in damages, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez claimed that AB ‘held an anticompetitive monopoly’ over the Call of Duty esports scene since 2020. It was remarked that Activision has too tight a grip on the competitive space, controlling almost ‘every aspect’ of the operations of the esports organisations within it.
The first port of call was targeting the ‘extortionate’ entry fee, which is a staggering sum of $27.5 million. Beyond that, the lawsuit targeted competition and tournament restrictions, the mismanagement of organisations, and a tight grip on sponsorship deals and revenue streams. However, it was recently made clear that the US District Court had dismissed the suit, and it will now be resolved through an independent and neutral arbitrator.
Not Over Yet
Scump’s lawsuit was shot down as quickly as it appeared
Abner and Rodriguez’s lawsuit could have crippled the Call of Duty League if it were successful. It’s no big secret that Activision Blizzard has had issues maintaining its esports ecosystem over the last few years, impacting both Overwatch and Call of Duty. There have been viewership drops, controversial decisions made regarding regulations, and an almost complete shutdown in some areas that has led to nothing major being played outside of the CDL.
In response to the original filing, Activision Blizzard’s lawyers said:
‘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.’
It’s not yet known what’ll come of the neutral arbitration that has been arranged, but it looks as though the monumental payday isn’t on the cards for OpTic Gaming.
Fans are still concerned about the future of the Call of Duty League, though. From releasing disappointing games to flip-flopping in terms of broadcasting deals, and from laying off a bunch of production staff to going silent about COD Challengers for so long, Activision Blizzard hasn’t done much to help the ecosystem of late. It’ll take something special to turn things around because, at the moment, fans are just crying out for a return to ‘how things used to be’.
For more Call of Duty news, Esports.net
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