Activision won't meddle with Infinity Ward recovery - Report

Activision may be grappling with a $150-$625 million lawsuit filed by a number of employees at its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 studio Infinity Ward, but the publisher remains committed to reestablishing the studio.

Activision Worldwide Studios executive Dave Stohl told Develop that the publisher is "one hundred percent confident" the studio will "rise from the ashes." Additionally, he said Activision is “supporting Infinity Ward in that rebuilding process, [but] I use the term ‘support’ because as much as possible we don’t want to tamper with that group of people."

In April, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey said that the defections at Infinity Ward created a "meaningful uncertainty" concerning the future of the studio and the franchise and that he expected the branch to close. However, Stohl's comments confirm the studio will remain open. As for what's next, Infinity Ward is currently considering new franchises and is also said to be working on Modern Warfare 3.

During Activision's second-quarter earnings call last week, the publisher announced that it had received more than 5,000 applications for work at Call of Duty studios Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Of that lofty figure, Activision said it has brought on 60 new employees across both development houses in the months following the Infinity Ward mass exodus.

Infinity Ward has been the center of turmoil within Activision since the firings of studio cofounders Jason West and Vince Zampella. The pair sued the company, and Activision promptly sued back, alleging they had been plotting to start a new studio with Electronic Arts. Within weeks, West and Zampella did just that. A number of Infinity Ward developers jumped ship to join the new studio, dubbed Respawn Entertainment, while others simply resigned. In April, a group of 38 former and current Infinity Ward developers sued Activision for as much as $625 million, alleging that the publisher had been withholding royalty and bonus payments due them.