Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
The startup screen for Call of Duty: Vanguard’s alpha build has been shared online, and the Activision logo is nowhere to be found. Said logo was also absent from Call of Duty: Vanguard’s official announcement trailer last week, with many believing it could be an attempt to distance the Call of Duty franchise from Activision Blizzard in light of the recent legal action being taken against the publisher.
The fallout from July’s bombshell allegations of widespread abuse and discrimination within Activision Blizzard was swift and far-reaching in the gaming industry. Activision Blizzard employees staged a large walkout to demand better treatment and safer working conditions last month, World Of Warcraft players launched an in-game protest to show their support for the victims of the reported misconduct, and Activision Blizzard lost sponsors for Call of Duty and Overwatch esports events. Although a representative of Call of Duty: Vanguard didn't say it outright, it seems that even the publisher's long-running military FPS franchise is now distancing itself from Activision.
On Tuesday, CharlieIntel posted the full start-up screen for Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Alpha build on Twitter. In it, the Activision logo is completely absent once again. Instead, developers Sledgehammer Games, Beenox, Treyarch, Raven Software, High Moon Studios, and Demonware are shown off before the Call of Duty: Vanguard logo appears and the game properly boots up.
Despite the ongoing legal controversy at parent company Activision Blizzard, the Call of Duty franchise seems to be going full steam ahead well throughout 2021. All Activision studios work on Call of Duty in one way or another, and the multiplayer-only Call of Duty: Warzone has just put out its newest Season Five update. Promotion for Call of Duty: Vanguard has ramped up, as well, with Activision promising that both it and Warzone will implement a new anti-cheat system when the new game launches on November 5.
The allegations being filed against Activision Blizzard are severe, so it would make sense for the developers behind Call of Duty: Vanguard to distance themselves from the problematic publisher while continuing to promote their newest titles. Whether or not Activision's logo is also absent from the full release of Vanguard isn't sure, but it wouldn't be a major surprise if it's missing there in November.
Call of Duty: Vanguard will be available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on November 5, 2021.
Source: CharlieIntel
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