A California judge today set a trial date of May 23 for the lawsuit involving Activision and Infinity Ward founders Vince Zampella and Jason West.
A hearing in Los Angeles today scheduled both the trial and also another hearing for Aug. 5 to determine whether a third lawsuit, filed by employees of Infinity Ward against Activision, should be consolidated with the other two lawsuits, said Robert Schwartz, an attorney for West and Zampella.
On March 1, Activision dismissed West and Zampella, creators of the wildly successful Call of Duty series, alleging insubordination and breach of contract by the two. West and Zampella sued Activision, seeking $36 million in unpaid royalties and alleging Activision rigged an investigation into their conduct to find a pretext to fire them. Activision filed a countersuit against the two.
Since then, West and Zampella have gone on to found a new studio, Respawn Entertainment, and sign on with Electronic Arts. Infinity Ward has shed more than 40 employees in the aftermath. The next installment in the Call of Duty series - Call of Duty: Black Ops is being developed by Treyarch.