Activision Defends Against Uvalde Shooting Lawsuit Over Call of Duty

Summary

• Activision denies allegations linking Call of Duty to Uvalde tragedy and defends the franchise's content as protected by the First Amendment.
• Activision's defense includes declarations from experts countering claims of the game being a "training camp for mass shooters."
• Uvalde families have until late February to respond to Activision's submitted documentation in ongoing lawsuit.

In response to the tragic Uvalde school shooting in 2022, Activision has filed a robust defense against lawsuits brought forth by victims' families in May 2024. These lawsuits claim that the shooter was influenced by the violent content found in Activision's Call of Duty series.

The devastating event at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers, with 17 others injured. The shooter, an 18-year-old former student, was an avid Call of Duty player, having downloaded Modern Warfare in November 2021. He used an AR-15 rifle, similar to one featured in the game. The lawsuit also accuses Meta, through Instagram, of connecting the shooter with firearm manufacturers and exposing him to ads for weapons like the AR-15, which he subsequently purchased. The families argue that both Activision and Meta contributed to a harmful environment that preyed on vulnerable, impressionable adolescents, indirectly promoting violent actions.

According to Game File, Activision submitted a 150-page defense in December, refuting all allegations and asserting no direct link between Call of Duty and the Robb Elementary tragedy. The company also moved to dismiss the lawsuit under California's anti-SLAPP laws, designed to protect free speech from legal abuse. In another filing, Activision highlighted Call of Duty as an expressive work safeguarded by the First Amendment, arguing that claims against its "hyper-realistic content" infringe on this right.

Activision Defends Call of Duty in Uvalde Lawsuit

To bolster its defense, Activision provided a 35-page declaration from Notre Dame professor Matthew Thomas Payne, who argued that Call of Duty aligns with the tradition of military realism found in war films and TV, rather than serving as a "training camp for mass shooters" as the lawsuit alleged. Additionally, Patrick Kelly, head of creative for Call of Duty, submitted a 38-page document detailing the game's design, including the $700 million budget for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. These submissions are central to Activision's strategy to refute the Uvalde families' claims.

The detailed documentation submitted by Activision requires a response from the Uvalde families by late February. While the case's outcome is still uncertain, it touches on the wider, ongoing debate about the influence of violent video games in relation to mass shootings.