A federal jury found Activision Blizzard liable for $23.4 million in a patent dispute involving World of Warcraft and two Call of Duty games. The verdict came on May 3, 2024; later reporting says the parties settled, but does not disclose the settlement terms. The verdict amount should not be treated as a confirmed final payment.
What the jury decided
On May 3, 2024, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware found Activision Blizzard liable in a patent infringement case brought by Acceleration Bay. Bloomberg Law reported the jury’s $23.4 million award as follows:
| Games identified in the verdict report | Patent | Amount assigned |
|---|---|---|
| World of Warcraft | U.S. Patent No. 6,701,344 | $18 million |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | U.S. Patent No. 6,732,147 | $5.4 million |
The breakdown and total are from Bloomberg Law’s May 2024 verdict report. They describe the jury’s award for the named games and patents, not a finding that every Activision Blizzard game infringed.
What the patents covered
Ars Technica described the patents as concerning a distributed game environment linking a host with multiple computers, and a method for disconnecting from such a network. The patents were originally filed by Boeing and later acquired by Acceleration Bay, according to Ars Technica’s account. That high-level description does not establish how each patent claim mapped onto the games; the verdict reporting does not provide a claim-by-claim explanation.
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Activision Blizzard disputed the finding
An Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Ars Technica: “While we are disappointed, we believe there is a strong basis for appeal. We have never used the patented technologies at issue in our games.” This was the company’s position, not the jury’s conclusion. The available reporting establishes the verdict, but does not establish the outcome of any appeal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the $23.4 million verdict?
Law360 reported that Activision Blizzard and Acceleration Bay settled in August 2024. Its report does not state the settlement amount or other terms. As a result, $23.4 million is the amount of the jury verdict; the sources do not establish how much Activision Blizzard ultimately paid, if anything, under the settlement. See Law360’s settlement report.
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