Activision: 'Infinity Ward Will Rise From the Ashes'

Activision's executive vice president is confident in the studio's future.

Daivd Stohl, Activision's executive vice president, said in an interview with Develop that he is confident that Infinity Ward will get back to its feet soon enough.

"We're supporting Infinity Ward in that rebuilding process, and I use the term 'support' because as much as possible we don't want to tamper with that group of people. We want Infinity Ward to be Infinity Ward; it's a very specific culture. Recruiting for Infinity Ward - I mean we have had ... well, let's just say recruiting is not a problem! But setting the bar super high, finding the right people that will fit in well with the culture, they're the most important factors for us...

"We have this interim group, but it's important to understand that we're trying to support the studio to build itself up. That's the process right now. There's a tonne of talented people at the studio, and yes some on the inside are stepping up their game internally and becoming more senior. We're recruiting like crazy and we're trying to find the best talent out there. I'm one hundred per cent confident that the studio will come back to what it was, especially considering all the talent we're seeing rising through and also being recruited. I'm not going to sit here and say no good talent left the studio, because obviously a lot of good talent did. But a lot of people who are really passionate about their job are still there. There's a development philosophy that remains intact, and the studio is attracting amazing new talent. Ultimately, Infinity Ward will rise from the ashes."

Stohl also had a few words to see on the forthcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops, which recently became the most preordered game of all time.

"On the Treyarch side I'm so proud of the team there. Following up on Modern Warfare 2 is a great challenge, and Treyarch has really taken to it. There's always talk and people sniping at developers, but Treyarch is a really strong team of 200 young developers faced with one of the toughest challenges that any team has taken on - ever. They are doing a fantastic job"