Former Treyarch Developer Criticizes Activision Over Black Ops Re-release Profits
Gavin Goslin, a former level artist and designer at Treyarch, has publicly criticized Activision executives for generating significant financial returns from the 2026 re-releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2. Goslin, who worked on the original titles, argues that while the games continue to generate revenue for the publisher, the original developers who endured long hours of crunch during the initial production have received no additional compensation. The re-releases, which launched in July, were reported as a success by Eurogamer, with Circana data identifying the titles as the highest-earning games in July and the fifth highest-earning games of 2026.
Key points
- Former Treyarch developer Gavin Goslin criticized Activision for profiting from Black Ops 1 and 2 re-releases without compensating original creators.
- Circana data lists the titles as the highest-earning games for July and the fifth highest-earning of 2026.
- Goslin advocates for legacy rewards and protections for developers who worked on games that continue to generate revenue for publishers years later.
Criticism of Executive Compensation
Gavin Goslin, who spent over 15 years at Treyarch, expressed frustration regarding the financial success of the Black Ops 1 and 2 re-releases. In a LinkedIn post, Goslin stated that executives are profiting from work completed over a decade ago while the original developers, who he noted faced brutal crunch hours to build the games, see none of the new financial windfalls.
Goslin argued that the industry needs to address how it values talent, suggesting that if legacy games continue to generate significant revenue for publishers, there should be corresponding rewards or protections for the original development teams.
Market Performance of Re-releases
The re-releases of Black Ops 1 and 2, which were issued in July, have seen commercial success for Activision and owner Microsoft. US data-tracker Circana identified the re-releases as the highest-earning games during the month of July and the fifth highest-earning games of 2026 overall.
Why it matters
The criticism highlights a debate over developer compensation for legacy software that continues to generate significant revenue for publishers years after release.
What we know
- Gavin Goslin is a former Treyarch developer who worked on the original Black Ops 1 and 2 titles.
- The re-releases of Black Ops 1 and 2 were launched in July 2026.
- Circana reported the titles as the highest-earning games in July 2026 and the fifth highest-earning of the year.
- Activision has been asked for comment regarding the claims made by Goslin.
What remains unclear
- The exact financial impact of the re-releases on Activision's executive compensation remains unverified.
- The total revenue figure and the number of copies sold are reported figures and have not been independently confirmed by Activision.
How the story developed
Gavin Goslin criticizes Activision over Black Ops re-release profits
Former Treyarch developer Gavin Goslin publicly criticized Activision executives for profiting from the re-release of Black Ops 1 and 2 without compensating original developers.
Original source
