Infinity Ward
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | 2015, Inc. |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, Jason West |
| Headquarters | California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mark Grigsby (co-studio head), Jack O'Hara (co-studio head), Daniel Nelson (CTO), Joel Emslie (art director) |
| Products | Call of Duty series |
| Owner | Activision |
Number of employees | 250+ (2015) |
| Parent | Activision |
Infinity Ward, Inc. is a prominent American video game developer renowned for producing the Call of Duty franchise, including eight main series entries. Established in 2002 by Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, and Jason West—who previously contributed to 2015, Inc. and worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault—the studio quickly earned acclaim within the gaming industry. Initial capital was provided by Activision, which first acquired a 30% ownership stake before fully acquiring the company immediately following the 2003 launch of their inaugural title, the World War II-themed shooter Call of Duty.
After becoming part of Activision, Infinity Ward broadened its game lineup with releases such as Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, along with later titles including the rebooted Modern Warfare series and its follow-up. These launches played a crucial role in expanding the company’s market presence and reinforcing its leadership position in the first-person shooter sector.
Co-founder Collier left in 2009 to join Activision directly, while West and Zampella were terminated in 2010 amid contractual disagreements; they subsequently established Respawn Entertainment. In an effort to streamline operations and consolidate expertise, Infinity Ward merged with Neversoft on May 3, 2014, thereby enhancing its global footprint with branches located in Poland, Mexico, Austin, and Barcelona.
Current key leadership includes co-studio heads Mark Grigsby and Jack O'Hara, Chief Technology Officer Daniel Nelson, and art director Joel Emslie. Employing over 250 staff members as of 2015, Infinity Ward continues to be a vital subsidiary within Activision’s corporate framework, driving sustained growth through its flagship offerings and strategic industry leadership.
History
In 2002, Grant Collier, Jason West, and Vince Zampella established Infinity Ward as an independent development studio under a publishing deal with Activision. The founders had previously been part of 2015 Games, LLC., departing due to dissatisfaction with their contracts at Electronic Arts. Activision initially invested $1.5 million for a 30% equity share to facilitate development of the first Call of Duty, then acquired full control in 2003 following the title’s commercial success. The studio began with approximately 25 employees, many recruited from the founders’ former team at 2015 Games, operating with significant creative autonomy under Activision’s oversight.
After the original game’s release, Microsoft approached Activision seeking a Call of Duty title for launch on the Xbox 360 platform. To meet this demand, Infinity Ward expanded its workforce to around 75 employees to develop Call of Duty 2, focusing on upgrading its engine to include realistic features such as smoke grenade effects and bullet penetration mechanics. The game achieved substantial success, selling 1.4 million copies within its first year and securing an attach rate of 85% among new Xbox 360 owners.
To grow the franchise further, Activision enlisted its internal studio Treyarch to create additional Call of Duty entries. While Treyarch developed Call of Duty 3, Infinity Ward concentrated on refining the engine for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which marked a shift from World War II settings to modern fictional warfare scenarios. By this stage, Infinity Ward’s team had expanded beyond 100 employees.
2010 employee dismissals and exits
Following the successful launch of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007, co-founders Jason West (president, co-CCO, CTO) and Vince Zampella (CEO) secured contracts with Activision that granted them substantial bonuses and creative authority over the Call of Duty franchise. However, these agreements contained a clause stipulating that if either was terminated, ownership rights to the series would revert to Activision.
In 2010, Activision pursued justification to remove West and Zampella, culminating in their termination on March 1 for "insubordination," which resulted in the loss of their contractual bonuses. Shortly thereafter, they established Respawn Entertainment in April 2010 and partnered with EA on what would eventually become Titanfall. A considerable number of Infinity Ward staff members left to join Respawn. Activision appointed Steve Pearce as interim CTO and Steve Ackrich as head of production; by November 2010, Infinity Ward had new leadership installed. Vivendi CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy confirmed that Infinity Ward had been thoroughly rebuilt, with three studios—including Sledgehammer Games—actively developing the Call of Duty series.
This period triggered several legal actions. West and Zampella filed suit against Activision for unpaid royalties initially valued at , which escalated to over by 2012 according to SEC disclosures. In response, Activision countersued, accusing them of acting as "self-serving schemers," and subsequently included EA as a defendant, alleging collusion aimed at undermining Infinity Ward and demanding in damages. Furthermore, the "Infinity Ward Employee Group" initiated litigation over unpaid bonuses estimated between and , alongside punitive damages up to . By May 2012, Activision reached a settlement with the employee group for , while confidential agreements were made separately with EA, West, and Zampella.
2012 exit of Robert Bowling
Robert Bowling announced his departure from Infinity Ward on March 27, 2012, relinquishing his role as creative strategist for Call of Duty. Activision publicly expressed gratitude for his contributions. Bowling cited creative disagreements as his reason for leaving, noting there was an excess of repetitive combat elements ("too much 'pew pew'") and insufficient innovation ("not enough new new"). He also voiced dissatisfaction with the company’s prioritization of subscriber metrics over delivering quality offerings such as free downloadable content and timely updates.
Neversoft integration and continued growth
In May 2014, Neversoft merged into Infinity Ward to create a consolidated 'super-studio' after collaborating on Call of Duty: Ghosts. Following this consolidation, Neversoft’s studio head Joel Jewett and director Scott Pease retired from their positions. By March 2015, Infinity Ward’s workforce had expanded to more than 250 employees.
Currently, Infinity Ward operates five studios located in California, Texas, Poland, Mexico, and Spain. The Kraków office in Poland opened in December 2017 under the leadership of principal rendering engineer Michal Drobot and serves primarily as a research and development hub. This location was instrumental in overhauling the IW engine for the 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare and the launch of Warzone. In October 2021, Infinity Ward further extended its presence by establishing a new studio in Austin, Texas. Most recently, in June 2023, the company inaugurated its fifth studio based in Barcelona, Spain, which focuses on supporting Modern Warfare and advancing development on Warzone Mobile.
Reception
Infinity Ward's inaugural release, Call of Duty, earned an impressive 90 Game of the Year honors alongside 50 Editor's Choice accolades. It continues to rank among the top-rated titles on GameRankings. Released in November 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare experienced remarkable commercial performance, with sales surpassing 13 million units by May 2009.
In the 2010 Develop 100 list, Infinity Ward secured third place, trailing only Nintendo and Bungie, based on video game sales within the UK market.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 achieved over $550 million in revenue within its first five days, including $310 million during the initial 24-hour period. Its follow-up, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, sold 6.5 million copies across the US and UK, generating $400 million in just one day after launch.
Game engines
For its first title in 2003, Infinity Ward utilized a significantly enhanced iteration of the id Tech 3 engine originally from Quake III Arena. The engine underwent extensive modifications for Call of Duty 2, incorporating upgraded graphics and support for DirectX 9, internally designated as IW 2.0. The engine powering Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, IW 3.0, introduced authentic world-dynamic lighting, HDR lighting, dynamic shadowing, and depth of field effects. Meanwhile, the Black Ops franchise and Quantum of Solace were developed by Treyarch utilizing tailored versions derived from Infinity Ward’s engine.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 employed IW 4.0, representing a generational advancement over IW 3.0. Following this, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ran on IW 5.0, which featured enhancements such as improved streaming capabilities to support larger game environments and superior audio processing.
The release of Call of Duty: Ghosts brought IW 6.0, designed for compatibility with both next-generation consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well as legacy hardware. This version integrated Pixar’s SubD technology for higher model detail, real-time HDR lighting, Iris Adjust technology to simulate realistic eye adaptation to lighting changes, revamped animation frameworks, fluid dynamics simulation, interactive smoke effects, displacement mapping, and dynamically changing multiplayer maps. For Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, IW 7.0 introduced systems simulating weightlessness, advanced physics modeling, refined artificial intelligence, and more sophisticated NPC behaviors.
The heavily overhauled IW engine developed over five years by Infinity Ward’s teams in California and Poland powers the 2019 reboot Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone. This engine supports more intricate environments through advanced photogrammetry, improved rendering techniques featuring enhanced volumetric lighting and ray tracing, marking a substantial leap forward in visual quality.
The latest installment, Modern Warfare II, operates on an upgraded iteration of the 2019 engine co-developed by Infinity Ward along with Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. This unified engine approach standardizes development tools across all studios involved in future series entries, promoting streamlined workflows and greater consistency throughout the franchise.
Games
| Year | Title | Platforms | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Call of Duty | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Macintosh | Aspyr developed the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions under the name Call of Duty Classic |
| 2005 | Call of Duty 2 | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh | i5works was responsible for the Mac adaptation |
| 2007 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Macintosh | Treyarch created the Wii version titled Modern Warfare - Reflex Edition |
| 2009 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Macintosh | Campaign Remastered version developed by Beenox |
| 2011 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Macintosh | Co-developed alongside Sledgehammer Games; Raven Software, Treyarch, and Neversoft provided support; Wii edition by Treyarch |
| 2013 | Call of Duty: Ghosts | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360 & One, Wii U | Development assistance from Neversoft, Raven Software, Certain Affinity; Treyarch handled the Wii U version |
| 2016 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Raven Software contributed development support |
| 2017 | Call of Duty: WWII | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Sledgehammer Games received development assistance |
| 2019 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Supported by Activision Shanghai, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Beenox, Raven Software, and Sledgehammer Games |
| 2020 | Call of Duty: Warzone | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Co-developed with Raven Software; additional support from Beenox, High Moon Studios, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, Toys for Bob, and Activision Shanghai |
| 2022 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | 'Microsoft Windows', 'PlayStation 4 & 5', 'Xbox One & Series X/S' | Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, Raven Software, Toys for Bob, High Moon Studios and other Activision subsidiaries contributed assistance |
| 2022 | Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 | 'Microsoft Windows', 'PlayStation 4 & 5', 'Xbox One & Series X/S' | Raven Software co-developed; multiple studios including Treyarch and Beenox provided support |
| 2023 | 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III' | 'Microsoft Windows', 'PlayStation 4 & 5', 'Xbox One & Series X/S' | Support role alongside Sledgehammer Games |
| 2024 | 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' | 'Microsoft Windows', 'PlayStation 4 & 5', 'Xbox One & Series X/S' | Assisting development efforts with Treyarch |