The 2007 release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare significantly altered the trajectory of the first-person shooter genre, revolutionizing multiplayer games by introducing now irrevocable standards such as perk and progression systems. In unleashing the groundbreaking experience, developer Infinity Ward turned Call of Duty into a household name, effectively setting the stage for its transition into one of entertainment’s most lucrative brands. But while publisher Activision’s golden goose reached for the stratosphere, a behind-the-scenes falling-out slowly begat a very public legal dispute. Infinity Ward’s ousted co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella refused to sit idly by after their split from Activision, however, instead striking out on their own with dozens of Call of Duty veterans tagging along.