Activision have filed a DMCA subpoena against a Reddit user for leaking information pertaining to Modern Warfare’s anticipated ‘Warzone’ battle royale mode.
Activision, publisher of the Call of Duty franchise, have demanded that Reddit submit the personal details of a user who allegedly posted a leaked image to the site.
The leaked image in question related to the rumored forthcoming battle royale mode in Modern Warfare, supposedly called ‘Warzone.’
Activision have been willing to dish out copyright claims in a bid to keep their battle royale project under wraps. Noted Call of Duty leaker, TheGamingRevolution, fell victim to such a claim after posting footage of players accessing the battle royale’s menus via a glitch.
YouTube took swift action and removed the content from its platform in response to the copyright infringement claim, as they are obliged to do.
However, on Reddit, a user under the alias ‘Assyrian2410’ posted content titled: “I found this image online. Not sure what it is. Possibly Battle Royale,” and embedded into the post was an alleged image of Modern Warfare’s currently classified mode.
In response to the post, Activision filed a subpoena to Reddit, which orders the platform to share Assyrian2410’s personal information, including their name and IP address.
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Per a Korean post on Inven, the controversial image in question shows several characters (including the recently added Ghost Operator) standing on top of a burning Chopper, with the words “Call of Duty Warzone” in the backdrop.
According to the DMCA subpoena to Reddit, “the content infringes Activision’s exclusive rights under copyright law. Specifically, it infringes Activision’s rights in its popular video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.”
The subpoena itself compels Reddit to provide Activision with the requested information by February 28. However, whether any further action will be taken by the Call of Duty publishers remains unknown.
The court request was signed and approved on February 19. The post itself has since been taken down and Assyrian2410 has since deleted their account on Reddit.