A monumental legal battle, the CDL lawsuit, is underway as Call of Duty stars Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez confront gaming giant Activision. Their aim? To challenge what they perceive as Activision’s domineering grip on the Call of Duty League (CDL), a struggle that has escalated to a staggering $680 million lawsuit.
Are they right? Let’s take a closer look.
Call of Duty players want justice: What’s the CDL lawsuit about?
Call of Duty stars Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez are taking on gaming giant Activision in a legal battle over the Call of Duty League (CDL). Scump and H3CZ claim that Activision has too much control over the CDL, making it hard for teams and players to compete fairly. They say Activision is like a big bully, forcing teams to pay huge fees just to play in the league. According to Bloomberg Law, affected teams are pursuing damages of up to $680 million.
“Activision used its monopoly power to prevent these former players from accepting vast categories of revenue opportunities related to professional Call of Duty.”
Here’s what you need to know:
- Who’s involved? Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, prominent figures in the Call of Duty community. Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty and organizer of the Call of Duty League (CDL).
- What’s the claim? Scump and H3CZ allege that Activision has a monopoly over the CDL, controlling it too tightly. They argue that Activision’s rules and fees make it hard for teams and players to compete fairly.
- Key issues raised:
- Exorbitant entry fees: Teams are allegedly forced to pay extremely high fees (reportedly $27.5 million each) to join the CDL, limiting competition.
- Sponsorship restrictions: Activision supposedly restricts teams’ ability to secure their own sponsors, limiting revenue opportunities.
- Tournament participation: Players are allegedly prohibited from participating in non-CDL tournaments, restricting their ability to earn outside of the league.
The CDL lawsuit says that Activision doesn’t play fair with sponsorships and tournaments. Teams can’t make money from certain sponsors, and players can’t join other tournaments outside of the CDL. Even retired players like Scump say Activision’s rules are still holding them back.
What does Activision say?
Activision denies the claims, saying the lawsuit is pointless. They argue that they’ve invested a lot in the CDL’s success and don’t want anything to disrupt it. Here is the full statement:
“Mr. Rodriguez (aka OpTic H3CZ) and Mr. Abner (aka Scump) demanded that Activision Blizzard pay them tens of millions of dollars to avoid this meritless litigation, and when their demands were not met, they filed. We will strongly defend against these claims, which have no basis in fact or in law. 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.”
What’s next?
It’s unclear what will happen to the CDL season. The lawsuit could lead to big changes, or the season might continue as planned. Either way, it’s a big moment for the world of esports and how it’s governed.
In simple terms, Scump and H3CZ are standing up to Activision, saying they want a fairer playing field for everyone involved in Call of Duty esports.
Really, is Xbox going out of business !?
What is CDL?
CDL stands for Call of Duty League. It is a professional esports league for the popular video game franchise Call of Duty, organized and operated by the game’s publisher, Activision. Teams compete in Call of Duty matches and tournaments for prizes and recognition within the gaming community.
