[Update] West, Zampella Form Studio, Sign With EA

[Update] Activision has broken the silence in regards to the formation of Respawn Entertainment.

“This agreement comes as no surprise to Activision given the myriad of improper activities detailed in the cross-complaint filed on Friday against Jason West and Vince Zampella," An Activision representative told Destructoid.  "We look forward to continuing to work with Infinity Ward’s deep bench of proven talent on exciting new projects.”

It seems that both sides are sticking to their respective story. Let us know your thoughts via our front page poll.

Original Story

After being fired from Infinity Ward last month by parent company Activision, former studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella have been busy. They filed a countersuit against Activision, saying their termination was an underhanded way for Activision to avoid paying royalties for their work on the megasuccessful Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. They also signed with Creative Artists Agency. What would West and Zampella do next? After weeks of speculation, the pair has officially revealed the first step in their plan.

The duo has formed a new studio, called Respawn Entertainment, based in Encino, California. Right out of the gate, the company says that it will own the IP that they create, potentially avoiding future lawsuits or strained relationships with publishers looking to milk their franchises. The next detail is a definite poke in the eye to Activision: Respawn Entertainment is working exclusively with EA Partners, which will handle worldwide publishing and distribution exclusively for the company’s games.

“Respawn Entertainment marks a fresh start for Jason and me,” said Vince Zampella, General Manager of Respawn Entertainment. “For the past decade we led a great development team and poured our hearts into creating an epic game franchise. We’re very proud of what we built – and proud that so many millions of fans enjoyed those games. Today we hope to do it all over again -- open a new studio, hire a great team, and create brand new games with a new partner, EA.”

“We’re excited,” added Jason West, President of Respawn Entertainment. "Now that the team is in control of the games and brands, we can ensure that the fans are treated as well as they deserve."

Frank Gibeau, President of the EA Games Label commented, “This is the start of a great publishing partnership – one that I expect will develop blockbuster game franchises. Jason and Vince are two of the top creative leaders in the entertainment industry. At EA, we’re honored to be their partners and to give them the support they need to hire a team and return to making incredible games.”
We’ll have more details about the partnership as they are made available.