Infinity Ward

Activision chief executive Bobby KotickBobby KotickBobby Kotick, formally Robert A. Kotick, is a business executive and director who led Activision and subsequently Activision Blizzard from 1991 to 2023. His tenure encompassed the combination with Vivendi Games, the King acquisition and Microsoft’s takeover. He is also cofounder and cochairman of the Call of Duty Endowment and became an independent Skydance director in October 2026.Open the full entry gave startup money to a group of developers disenchanted with their contract work for Electronic Arts; the group founded Infinity Ward and created Call of Duty.⁠[1]

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 was one of the studio’s co-founders and later headed it together with 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.⁠[2]

In May 2002, Activision acquired 30% of Infinity Ward’s outstanding capital stock along with an option to buy the remaining 70%.⁠[3]

In December 2002, Activision said it had forged new alliances with Infinity Ward and Stainless Steel, each of which had created games that sold more than a million units.⁠[4]

On October 30, 2003, Activision announced it had acquired the remaining 70% of Infinity Ward, making it a wholly owned subsidiary; Grant CollierGrant CollierGrant Collier is one of the co-founders and the early president of the video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio that developed the early games of the Call of Duty series.Open the full entry, Vince Zampella and Jason West would continue to manage it under long-term employment contracts. Many team members had developed Medal of Honor Allied Assault.⁠[5]

Activision used about $3.5 million in cash to acquire the studio.⁠[6]

Ahead of the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision said pre-orders for the Infinity Ward game were higher than for any previous Activision title.⁠[7]

After an internal human resources inquiry, Activision terminated Jason West and Vince Zampella on March 1, 2010. On March 3 they sued in Los Angeles Superior Court for breach of contract and wrongful termination, seeking more than $36 million; on April 9 Activision cross-complained for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.⁠[8]

Activision’s chief technology officer and its head of production, Steve Ackrich, jointly took interim charge of the studio, and the company said Sledgehammer Games, led by Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey, would develop a new Call of Duty title.⁠[9]

On April 27, 2010, 38 current and former Infinity Ward employees sued Activision, alleging unpaid bonuses and other compensation of at least $75 million to $125 million; after amendments there were 40 plaintiffs, and on October 12 the case was consolidated with the West and Zampella matter. Activision said it had accrued amounts for the sums allegedly owed.⁠[10]

On January 18, 2011, the court allowed Activision to amend its cross-complaint and add Electronic Arts as a party; the court later set trial for May 7, 2012.⁠[11]

All parties to the litigation involving former Infinity Ward employees and Electronic Arts reached a settlement on May 31, 2012.⁠[12]

Revealed on May 2, 2016, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was set in space and scheduled for November 4; it was Infinity Ward’s first release on a three-year development cycle, and some editions included a remastered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.⁠[13]

In April 2022, Activision Blizzard said that year’s premium Call of Duty and a new free-to-play Warzone were being developed under Infinity Ward’s lead; the game was a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, then the most successful Call of Duty title.⁠[14]

In October 2023, 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 completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, bringing Infinity Ward under Microsoft.⁠[15]

Infinity Ward led development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, with Beenox partnering on PC and Digital Legends co-developing the Nintendo Switch 2 version with Infinity Ward.⁠[16]

The Valor Pack offered at launch was made working closely with the Infinity Ward and Endowment teams.⁠[17]

On its website, Infinity Ward describes itself as the original studio behind the Call of Duty franchise.⁠[18]

Activision lists Infinity Ward locations in Woodland Hills, California and Austin, Texas, plus Infinity Ward Poland in Krakow.⁠[19]

Infinity Ward Poland opened as a research and development studio working closely with the main studio in the Los Angeles area, headed by principal rendering engineer Michal Drobot.⁠[20]

The Austin studio became Infinity Ward’s fourth, joining the main office in Los Angeles and teams in Poland and Mexico.⁠[21]

Infinity Ward, Inc., a Delaware company, was listed among Activision Blizzard’s major subsidiaries at the end of 2022.⁠[22]

Infinity Ward: Official website: https://www.infinityward.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[18]

Activision: Official website: https://www.activision.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[23]

Call of Duty: Official website: https://www.callofduty.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[24]