14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Activision Blizzard has announced that it has paid out 42 million dollars (32.7 million Euro) to the group representing the interests of former Infinity Ward leaders and Modern Warfare 2 developers Jason West and Vince Zampella.
Despite the payment, the company does not admit any guilt in the firing of the two developers and the overall sum is smaller than the one the pair is seeking to recuperate in an upcoming trial.
The amount paid to the two Modern Warfare 2 leading developers was determined after a review of available evidence that took place ahead of a planned court date on May 29.
Activision has already paid 22 million dollars (17.1 million Euro) to the pair in order to compensate them for the successful launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which quickly became one of the biggest video game launches of all time.
The group representing Zampella and West still plan to go to trial against Activision because the sums that they received are only a small part of what they are set to receive as long as they persuade the court that they are right.
The former leaders of Infinity Ward are claiming that Activision is guilty of fraud and that they were fired because the company did not want to give them their due royalties after the successful launch of Modern Warfare 2.
Activision has launched a countersuit claiming that West and Zampella were ready to leave the company for Electronic Arts, which was a breach of their own contract.
Since then Infinity Ward was rebuilt and created Modern Warfare 3, which went on to become the best-selling entertainment product of 2012.
At the moment, Activision and Treyarch are working on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which will be delivered during the fall of this year.