Former Call of Duty Developer Critiques Activision’s Profiteering from Re-releases
- Gavin Goslin, a former Treyarch developer, criticized Activision for profiting from re-releases of Black Ops 1 and 2.
- He expressed that original developers receive no financial rewards while executives profit significantly.
- The re-releases sold approximately 11 million copies, generating around $450 million since their launch in July.
Gavin Goslin, who spent over 15 years as a level artist and designer at Treyarch, has publicly called out Activision executives for profiting from the low-effort re-releases of Black Ops 1 and 2 while the original developers receive no compensation. In a LinkedIn post, he stated, “They are printing money off of work completed over a decade ago.”
Goslin described the experience of seeing the re-releases succeed as “bittersweet,” reflecting on the intense work and dedication that went into creating the original games. He noted, “I poured my life into those games, spending countless, brutal hours in crunch alongside an incredibly talented team to make sure they were perfect.” He added that while it is gratifying to witness the games still dominating sales charts in 2026, it is disheartening to see executives profit while the creators “don’t see a dime of it.”
Following widespread media coverage of his post, Goslin expressed satisfaction that the issue was gaining attention in a subsequent LinkedIn update. He stated, “I am glad this critical conversation is gaining traction,” and emphasized that the current situation underscores a fundamental flaw in how the industry values its talent.
Goslin pointed out that while executives reap significant financial rewards from the re-releases, the original creators are left facing unemployment. “If legacy games are going to print money for publishers in 2026, legacy rewards and protections need to exist for the developers who survived the crunch to build them,” he said.
The re-releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2, launched in July 2023, have reportedly sold around 11 million copies, generating nearly $450 million in revenue for Activision and parent company Microsoft. Despite not being remasters, these straightforward re-releases have been recognized as the highest-earning game in July, as reported by US data-tracker Circana, and the fifth highest-earning game of the year overall.
As this discussion unfolds, Activision prepares for the release of the new title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, set for October 23, 2023, which has already received a positive reception from players who have accessed its campaign early via pre-order.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
