Optic Gaming files $680 million lawsuit against Activision Blizzard

Optic Gaming president H3CZ along with Scump have now filed a lawsuit against Call of Duty development studio. The $680 million lawsuit alleges that Activision Blizzard has monopolized the Call of Duty League.

In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, H3CZ and Scump say that the company has an unlawful monopoly over the entire CDL aspects. The 12 CDL teams were forced to pay $27.5 Million in order to compete in the event.

Furthermore, they also agreed to share 50% of the revenue generated by sponsors, ticket and merch sales with Activision. In another statement, it was alleged that teams were also prohibited from participating in other Call of Duty tournaments apart from CDL.

“The CDL also made us sign a player “contract” in front of them without allowing us to run it by our lawyers at the player summit. It was a “sign it now, or you can’t play at Minnesota” type exchange. I’m probably gonna get fined for this too, just letting y’all know,” Scump said in a post.

Activision’s response

In a recent statement, Activision’s legal representative said that the claims have no basis. Activision revealed that H3CZ and Scump demanded ‘tens of millions of dollars to avoid this meritless litigation’. When their demands were not accepted, they filed a lawsuit.

“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,” they added.

What happens next?

The Major 2 for the CDL started a few days ago and has been going as per plans. It seems currently there is a lot more going on behind the scenes, with further details on the matter coming in future.

Fans still remain uncertain, as Activision hasn’t had a very good reputation in the past few years. Their recent lay-offs in the gaming division are also under fire by the Federal Trade Commission.