Activision Defends COD Suit over Uvalde

Activision Rejects Claims Linking Call of Duty to Uvalde Tragedy

Activision Blizzard has filed a robust defense against lawsuits filed by Uvalde school shooting victims' families, vehemently denying any causal link between its Call of Duty franchise and the 2022 tragedy. The May 2024 lawsuits allege the shooter's exposure to the game's violent content contributed to the massacre at Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two teachers perished.

The defense, filed in December and exceeding 150 pages, counters the plaintiffs' assertion that Call of Duty served as a "training camp for mass shooters." Activision invokes California's anti-SLAPP laws, designed to protect free speech from frivolous litigation, and emphasizes the First Amendment protection afforded to Call of Duty as an expressive work. The company argues the lawsuit's claims, based on the game's purportedly "hyper-realistic content," infringe upon this fundamental right.

Supporting its defense, Activision submitted expert declarations. Notre Dame professor Matthew Thomas Payne's 35-page statement contextualizes Call of Duty within the established tradition of military realism in film and television, directly refuting the "training camp" allegation. A further 38-page declaration from Patrick Kelly, Call of Duty's head of creative, details the game's development process, including the substantial $700 million budget allocated to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

The comprehensive defense, including these and other details, awaits a response from the Uvalde families, who have until late February to submit their counterarguments. The legal battle highlights the ongoing societal debate surrounding the potential influence of violent video games on real-world violence, with the ultimate outcome remaining uncertain.