Jason West (game developer)
Jason West is a video game developer, one of the co-founders of the video game studios 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 and Respawn Entertainment, and a former project lead on 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.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
2002Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
West 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 were the lead designers of the 2002 game Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and went on to create Call of Duty.[1]
2002Co-Founds Infinity Ward
In 2002 West co-founded Infinity Ward with Zampella and 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.[2]
October 2009On Disagreements with Activision
West, then Call of Duty project lead, said of Activision’s insistence on a World War II setting: “We had to fight for everything.”[3]
March 1, 2010Leaves Infinity Ward
That day Zampella and West met with Activision and then left the studio building. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Activision said it was concluding an internal human resources inquiry into “breaches of contract and insubordination” by two senior employees at Infinity Ward, a matter expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation.[4]
Before his departure West was Infinity Ward’s president, game director, co-chief creative officer and chief technology officer.[5]
March 2, 2010Activision Confirms Their Departure
It was confirmed that Zampella and West were no longer with Infinity Ward, and chief technology officer Steve Pierce and head of production Steve Ackrich would lead the studio on an interim basis.[6]
April 12, 2010Co-Founds Respawn Entertainment
West and Zampella announced Respawn Entertainment; neither would reveal what its first game was, though West said it would be a big summer blockbuster.[7]
May 2012Litigation Ends
In May 2012 Activision paid $42 million to the Infinity Ward Employee Group of former studio staff; the payment was not a settlement but followed the discovery phase of Activision’s suit against West and Zampella, which found no evidence that the group’s members were complicit in the alleged breaches of contract.[8]
On May 31, West and Zampella settled with Activision; Respawn and Activision confirmed the settlement, Activision said the one-time settlement charges would not materially affect its earnings outlook, and EA called the settlement a vindication of the two.[9]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Infinity Ward: Official website: https://www.infinityward.com/ (opens in a new window)[10]
Respawn Entertainment: Official website: https://www.respawn.com/ (opens in a new window)[11]
Sources
- Why 2002 Was Possibly the Most Important Year in Video Gaming History (opens in a new window)
- Vince Zampella, 'Call of Duty' Creator, Dies at 55 in Car Accident (opens in a new window)
- ‘Activision did not want Modern Warfare’ – Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- UPDATE: Infinity Ward Vs. Activision (opens in a new window)
- Top Infinity Ward devs fired for 'insubordination,' lawsuits 'expected' (opens in a new window)
- Activision's Future Plans For Call Of Duty Call For New Developer (opens in a new window)
- Respawn Entertainment announced by ex-IW heads, partnering with EA (opens in a new window)
- Activision pays $42 million to Infinity Ward Employee Group (opens in a new window)
- West, Zampella settle with Activision in Infinity Ward lawsuit [Update: Acti, Respawn, EA comment] (opens in a new window)
- Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- Respawn Entertainment (opens in a new window)