Call of Duty lawsuit: Activision denies grooming allegations in Uvalde tragedy

Activision has responded legally against allegations that Call of Duty influenced the Uvalde school shooter. The game developer based its defense on the protections issued by the First Amendment and cited California’s anti-SLAPP laws to have the charges taken down.

The families of the victims of the Uvalde shooting collectively filed a lawsuit against Activision for influencing the shooter into committing the violent act. Activision responded to the lawsuit to absolve itself of any involvement in what is labeled the worst shooting in U.S. history.

Activision denies responsibility for the Uvalde shooting

Activision, the game studio behind the Call of Duty franchise, made a formal response against a lawsuit that families of victims filed after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. The lawsuit accused the Call of Duty maker of “grooming” the shooter through its games.

Activision’s response came as a detailed 145-page document, including accompanying materials, filed in December 2024. In the document, the Call of Duty game maker rejected all the claims the families’ lawsuit made about its involvement in the event. 

The lawsuit against Activision was filed after the tragic events at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. The lawsuit targeted Activision Blizzard, Daniel Defense, and Meta Platforms such as Instagram for partially contributing to the circumstances that culminated in the shooting that claimed 21 lives.

The lawsuit blamed Activision for contributing to the shooter’s behavior through the violent nature of the game’s content. The lawsuit stated that the shooter, Salvador Ramos, had played the Call of Duty games “obsessively.”

Activision’s response argued that the Call of Duty games were a form of artistic expression, not just a regular product. Under this classification, Activision invoked California’s anti-SLAPP statutes that protect creative expression. The legal response stated that the games were creative works that depicted real-world issues, and as such, they should be protected, similar to literature and films.

Activision’s document also mentioned historical precedents, saying that all previous attempts to blame video game developers failed. The response added that the issue should be directed to the legislature instead of the courts.

Activision finalized its argument by attaching research on the cultural history of Call of Duty and military games done by Thomas Payne, a media professor at the University of Notre Dame. The proceedings in this case hold great significance for the gaming industry as stakeholders wait for the next hearing scheduled for April 15th, 2025.

The hearing will determine whether the families’ lawsuit against Activision will be dismissed under anti-SLAPP protections. The court’s judgment will define how responsibility is assigned concerning events involving mass violence, as in the case of public and school shootings.

Gamer speculation builds ahead of Activision lawsuit hearing

As we approach the April hearing, gamers have continued to be vocal about the issue. Some gamers said that the shooter’s actions to mimic Call of Duty levels and scenes were evidence enough to blame the game developer for their behavior leading up to the shooting.

However, most gamers dismissed the families’ lawsuit as pointless. The gamers said that the families should have sued the police instead, as more lives were lost in the shooting due to their inaction when the shooter was still moving through the school. 

Gamers also proposed solutions to address similar violence-related cases in the future. They proposed policy changes to control gun ownership and access. They argued that the shooter’s ability to access AR-15 rifles days after their 18th birthday was an issue that should be looked into. According to some gamers, the U.S. government should benchmark in other countries, such as the UK, where no such gun-related incidents occur, to understand how to address the actual issue behind the shootings.

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