Activision's
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has hit 25 million active multiplayer users, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling
revealed on his Twitter.
The title has racked up over $1 billion in retail sales and sold
close to 12 million units, breaking entertainment records. It
saw an unprecedented launch, pulling in $550 million in its first five days.
Bowling also said that new details on upcoming downloadable content for
Modern Warfare 2 are set to emerge soon. His announcement marked the first comments from Bowling -- normally a vocal spokesperson -- since legal trouble erupted between Infinity Ward's co-founders and publisher Activision.
Modern Warfare 2 is now at the center of contention between Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella and Activision; the publisher fired the pair, alleging breach of contract and "insubordination", and the co-founders have counter-sued for wrongful termination.
Amid the brouhaha, Activision announced new plans for the
Call of Duty franchise, creating its own business unit for it -- the next installment will be developed by the newly-founded Sledgehammer Games, while new downloadable content is still expected from Infinity Ward. The future of the
Modern Warfare brand specifically, however, remains unclear.