OpTic H3CZ & Scump File $680 Million Lawsuit Against Activision Blizzard
On February 15, 2024, Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, and Seth “Scump” Abner filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard seeking $680 Million in damages. The lawsuit states that Activision Blizzard created an “unlawful monopoly” over the Call of Duty League since it’s creation in 2020, and “coerced” the teams to pay a $27.5 Million entry fee to the League. It is unclear whether other Call of Duty League teams or individuals are also involved in the lawsuit, however, it is most definitely OpTic H3CZ and Scump leading the way.
The move into a franchised league system was always unliked by the fans and team alike, however, almost no one expected that four years later, the biggest brand in Call of Duty esports would be going up against the owners themselves in court.
First reported by Bloomberg Law, the lawsuit refers to numerous restrictions that the Call of Duty League had on teams. Including “exclusive rights to contracts with the most lucrative sponsors” and restricting teams from “participating in or supporting any Call of Duty leagues or tournaments other than the Activision COD League.”
Ultimately, the lawsuit states that “these rent-seeking and trade-restraining contractual provisions impermissibly enriched Activision at the expense of the professional Call of Duty players and teams that were now under Activision’s thumb.”
Shortly after this information was revealed, Activision Blizzard responded with a statement:
“Mr. Rodriguez (aka OpTic H3CZ) and Mr. Abner (aka Scump) demanded that Activision 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.”
COD League
Since the filing, Activision Blizzard has responded to the suit with it's own statement, declaring its intent to defend against the litigation "which have no basis in fact or in law."
Last year, in 2023, Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League was shut down, with teams owed up to $7.5 Million at the time of disbanding. While this lawsuit is a completely different scenario, it may be an insight into what could be next for the Call of Duty League. Many fans had already anticipated that 2024 would be the final season of the COD League, and with over 80% of Activision Esports staff being laid off, and now this development, the end of the CDL appears to be getting closer by the day.
