Grant Collier
Grant Collier is one of the co-founders and the early president of the video game developer Infinity WardInfinity WardInfinity Ward is an American video game developer founded in 2002 by developers who had worked on Medal of Honor Allied Assault. Wholly acquired by Activision in 2003, it developed the first Call of Duty and games in the Modern Warfare series; the dismissal of its founders in 2010 led to several lawsuits, settled in 2012.Open the full entry, the studio that developed the early games of the Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game series published by Activision. Its first game, developed by Infinity Ward, was released for PC in 2003; studios including Infinity Ward and Treyarch have since taken turns developing annual releases, and the series has expanded into Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Mobile. In October 2023 the series came under Microsoft’s ownership with Activision Blizzard.Open the full entry series.
Contents6 sections
Key facts
2002Leaves the Studio “2015” and Founds Infinity Ward
After the Medal of Honor game shipped in 2002, Collier and Vince ZampellaVince ZampellaVince Zampella was a video game developer and executive who co-founded Infinity Ward, the studio behind the Call of Duty series, and Respawn Entertainment, maker of games including Titanfall and Apex Legends, and later ran the Battlefield series at Electronic Arts; he died in a car crash in December 2025.Open the full entry left the developer “2015” to set up their own game studio; their friend Jason WestJason West (game developer)Jason West is a video game developer, one of the co-founders of the video game studios Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, and a former project lead on Call of Duty.Open the full entry and a total of 22 former “2015” employees joined them.[1]
A team member recalled that Collier, then president, sent a signal to the major publishers and Activision responded; artist Justin Thomas recalled that Activision offered to fund a project for more than a year on condition that it gained the right to buy the company for around $3 million, and that the deal had to be signed that day.[2]
October 30, 2003Activision Takes Full Ownership of Infinity Ward
Activision exercised its option to acquire the remaining 70% of Infinity Ward’s common stock, making it a wholly owned subsidiary; Collier, Zampella and West each signed a long-term employment contract with Activision and continued to run the studio.[3]
2003–2008Growing the Studio
Collier, West and Zampella tripled the size of their studio to about 75 people. Collier was Infinity Ward’s head spokesman; he recalled being ecstatic about a request from MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft is a technology company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with businesses spanning Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, gaming and devices.Open the full entry and described the result as “eye candy at 60 hertz.”[1]
Early 2009Moves to Activision
In early 2009 Collier left Infinity Ward to work at its parent company Activision on “special projects.”[4]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Infinity Ward: Official website: https://www.infinityward.com/ (opens in a new window)[5]
Sources
- The making and unmaking of Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- The Medal of Honor killer: A Call of Duty story (opens in a new window)
- Activision Acquires Infinity Ward Developer Of Critically Acclaimed PC Game Call Of Duty™ (opens in a new window)
- The Modern Warfare Fight: Your Guide to Activision Vs. Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)