Activision Warns of Legal Consequences for CoD Player Sharing Access to Old Version of Verdansk

 

Activision Warns of Legal Consequences for CoD Player Sharing Access to Old Version of Verdansk

Verdansk, Warzone's iconic and beloved map, has been conspicuously absent from the Call of Duty franchise for several years. Hopes were high among the community that the release of Warzone 2 would mark the triumphant return of this fan-favorite locale. However, as Warzone 2 launched without Verdansk, some enthusiasts took it upon themselves to recreate the map through unofficial means, a move that has not been well-received by Activision.

Prominent Call of Duty dataminer HeyImAlaix recently disclosed that they had received a cease and desist letter from Activision on September 16th. The letter demanded the termination of their project to resurrect Verdansk or face legal consequences. Activision has accused HeyImAlaix of both creating and disseminating pirated and cracked versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare from 2019.

The cease and desist message stated, "Alexis, it has come to our attention that you have been advertising and distributing a recently cracked version of MW2019," and further alleged that the dataminer was also responsible for circulating a cracked version of 2020's Black Ops: Cold War.

This legal action from Activision followed HeyImAlaix's revelation of significant progress in reviving older versions of Warzone and Verdansk back in August. The dataminer even shared an image depicting a private Warzone lobby featuring the Verdansk map, generating tremendous excitement among dedicated Call of Duty fans longing to revisit the classic terrain.

This isn't the first instance of Activision contacting HeyImAlaix regarding unofficial game builds. According to an excerpt from Activision's statement shared by the dataminer, this marked the third time the company had reached out regarding "unlawful conduct in connection with the Call of Duty games."

Activision's justification for the cease and desist was framed as a measure to "preserve and protect Call of Duty, and the incredibly talented developers who created it, from unauthorized use." This rationale faced criticism from players who argued that offline experimentation and unofficial builds couldn't significantly harm the franchise.

The impending release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in 2023 raises questions about whether Activision plans to reintroduce Verdansk with any new Warzone updates. Their actions regarding older iterations of the map may hint at their future intentions, especially considering their recent trend of bringing back maps from previous titles.

In any case, fans will need to exercise patience as they await Activision's official plans. It appears that unofficial avenues are losing ground against the company's measures to protect its intellectual property.