Activision sets ultimatum for taking offline Belgian CoD: Warzone data site – Gaming – News

Activision has one cease-and-desist-brief sent to SBMM Warzone, a Belgian website for Call of Duty: Warzone with player statistics. The publisher wants the site to go offline on Monday, because there is alleged infringement of copyrights, among other things.

On the own website the founders let us know that Activision lawyers have asked for the website to be shut down by Monday. The founders, two avid Warzone players, make one last appeal to users to express their support. They say they have reached out to Activision several times to establish a partnership so that the site can continue to exist. Given the message that their site will likely have to shut down, these attempts will have been of little use so far.

SBMM Warzone clarifies on Twitter that it should not use Activision’s API because the terms of its use would have been violated. Also, according to Activision, the website would infringe copyrights, violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and lead to privacy issues, which could lead to the founders of SBMM Warzone being fined under the GDPR. The letter was dated March 22 and includes a requirement to close the site within seven days.

SBMM Warzone started late last year and quickly gained popularity, particularly among well-known Warzone players. For example, there is a player who says that the site is a good asset as there is no ranking system for Warzone yet. The website receives data after players put their profile on public, after which the number kills, deaths, rounds won and other data are displayed. However, there are also players who find that the site and the tools have undesirable consequences, because players can view the statistics of all other players and teams prior to a round and then quickly leave the lobby if the opposition seems to be too difficult on paper.

One of the founders has said to Eurogamer that he understands Activision’s concerns. “When we receive their data through their API, they have no control over it,” he says. However, he says his website is getting “nothing sensitive” and the fact that the site sells paid memberships has nothing to do with Activision’s claim in his view. He says he is open to a different name and any other changes in order to meet the requirements, but Activision has not responded so far.

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