'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Activision has employed the DMCA tactic to take down a tweet related to Call of Duty: Warzone's leaked map from a website called Video Game Chronicles.
This meant that the particular tweet was taken down by Twitter, as per the standard procedure when a copyright claim is involved. Multiple DMCA strikes can lead to full account suspension, according to the platform's guidelines.
The DMCA strike also came down on VGC editor-in-chief, Andy Robinson. There is also the suspicion that other outlets may have received DMCAs, but nothing concrete has been revealed yet.
Call of Duty: Warzone map leak – Activision issues DMCA on news coverage
Footage of Call of Duty: Warzone’s Vedansk map got leaked on the internet on March 31st. With the game being as popular as it is, this slip started to get covered by various gaming news outlets.
The leak showed Verdansk to be more of a recreation of the map from the 1980s, making it thematically fit with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Leaked footage from the Warzone arena showed many buildings inside it that are still being constructed.
As far as leaks are considered in the video game industry, this Warzone one is very mild. Hence, Activision’s strong-arm tactic looks tyrannical in the eyes of many.
Activision has not publicly come out with why it issued a DMCA strike on the tweets, and Twitter has not explained why they were deemed to infringe its policies despite fair use.
Activision is not the only publisher to use DMCA to sweep leaked game industry information under the rug. But this forceful approach of striking down links to news coverage about leaks rather than many of the actual leaked assets themselves, and Twitter’s apparent acceptance of them, sets a dangerous precedent to taking unfair action against legitimate news.
Amidst the DMCA fiasco, Warzone players might be pleased to know that this map is most likely being released on or shortly after April 22nd, as Season 3 of the game is expected on that date.
Moreover, VGC sources mentioned a “nuke event” coming to Warzone in April.
