A former Infinity Ward developer has shed light on the dramatic events surrounding the abrupt firing of studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella by Activision in 2009. The dismissal of the creative minds behind the original Call of Duty and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, altering the trajectory of the franchise and the first-person shooter genre.

Paul Sandler, currently Lead Designer at NetEase games, recounted the day’s events in a detailed article on Linkedin. He described the moment when news of the firing broke, with a lead artist informing him while riding a scooter around Infinity Ward’s office. The reaction among the remaining staff was one of anger and a deep sense of unfairness, as the abrupt and cold-blooded fashion of the dismissals shook the entire team.

According to Sandler, the firing of West and Zampella prompted a collective feeling of anger and unfairness among the team, with nearly half of the entire studio at risk of leaving, jeopardizing the development of Modern Warfare 3. Activision attempted to quell the rebellion by holding an emergency company meeting, but their attempts to explain the situation fell on deaf ears. In a bid to retain the team, Activision offered MW2 bonuses and a fifty-percent salary increase to those who stayed to work on Modern Warfare 3.