Activision Call of Duty Case Jurisdiction Heads to Arbitration

An arbitrator will decide whether Activision Blizzard Inc. can force into arbitration claims that the company has an unlawful monopoly over professional Call of Duty leagues and tournaments, according to Los Angeles federal court filings.

Lawyers for Activision and some of the game’s top players requested on Friday that US District Judge Percy Anderson pause court proceedings in the Central District of California until arbitration concludes. The novel suit questions the legal power of publishers over those playing their games in competitions and could hand more power to players and teams that seek to profit from playing the video games ...