Former designer criticizes profits from ports

A former level designer at Treyarch, Gavin Goslin, has criticized Microsoft and Activision for the profits they made from re-releasing PlayStation versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in 2026. Goslin expressed frustration on LinkedIn, noting that the games were simple digital ports without new content, sold at $40 each, yet generated significant revenue.

Sales figures highlight success

According to estimates from Alinea Analytics, the two re-released games sold 11.2 million copies in July, generating about $435 million in a single month. The games also climbed to the Top 10 in the United States in terms of weekly active users, as reported by Circana.

Goslin reflects on legacy and compensation

Goslin, who worked on the original Black Ops titles, described the situation as "bittersweet." He acknowledged the incredible achievement of seeing his work still dominate the rankings in 2026 but criticized industry leaders for profiting from the original code without compensating the developers who created it.

Call for royalty system

Goslin advocated for developers to receive royalties if their older games are ported to new consoles. He argued that those who worked on the original games should be compensated for ports, remakes, or remasters, similar to how royalties are handled in books, films, and music. However, he noted that no indication so far suggests Xbox plans to implement such a system.

Industry trend and Microsoft's response

Goslin's comments come amid a growing trend in AI-generated browser ports of classic games. Microsoft has responded by announcing the Xbox Labs project, aimed at addressing this trend. Meanwhile, Activision is likely to pursue similar re-releases in the future, following the success of the Black Ops ports.

Activision's future plans

Activision's marketing director, Tyler Bahl, stated that the publisher learned a valuable lesson from the success of the Black Ops ports, emphasizing the nostalgia factor among players. He mentioned that the company plans to apply these lessons to upcoming games, including Modern Warfare 4, which will be released on October 23. Whether Activision will release ports of previous Modern Warfare games next summer remains to be seen.