Activision Blizzard's operation of the Call of Duty League is now the subject of a lawsuit brought by two pro players who allege the esports league is an illegal monopoly, one that prevents competition and forces players and teams to agree to "extortionate" financial terms.

The two players are known names in professional Call of Duty circles. Optic Gaming president Hector "H3CZ" Rodriguez and pro player Seth "Scump" Abner, the second winningest player in the game's history, are seeking $680 million in damages from Activision Blizzard. The lawsuit alleges Rodriguez, who ran the Optic Gaming Call of Duty team for years, was effectively forced into a "financially devastating" partnership with billionaire investors in order to satisfy Activision's demands and gain one of the Call of Duty League's coveted 12 team spots.

As noted by the lawsuit recently filed in federal court, prior to the formation of the Activision-owned Call of Duty League in 2019, competitive Call of Duty tournaments were operated by multiple organizations, including GameStop and Major League Gaming. That changed when Activision itself acquired Major League Gaming and later formed the Call of Duty League, effectively shutting down all other professional Call of Duty esport leagues and tournaments other than the ones operated by Activision itself.