Massive Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 PlayStation Sales Signal a Wide Industry Problem and a Treyarch Veteran Is Speaking Out

Nostalgia is a very powerful tool, trading heavily on the belief that the “good old days” were simply better. Look no further than the recent re-releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 on PlayStation, which have sold millions of copies overnight.

Yet, while Activision celebrates, a Treyarch developer spoke out about the new versions of these video games. Although happy that the titles are popular and beloved by the community, he also spoke about how unfair the industry can be for developers.

Activision Cashes In as Treyarch Veteran Speaks Out

Following weeks of industry rumors, Activision released modern ports for the beloved 2010 and 2012 titles on PS4 and PS5. While both games remained technically playable on the PlayStation 3, severe issues rendered their iconic multiplayer modes practically unplayable for years.

The new PS4 and PS5 releases solved these issues, offering fans a secure, cheat-free environment to relive the franchise’s golden era. Unsurprisingly, the community jumped at the chance.

According to market intelligence firm Alinea Analytics, Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 racked up roughly 11.2 million units sold in July alone, generating an estimated $435 million in revenue. This is an obvious triumph for Activision, but the creators who built the original games aren’t seeing the benefits.

In a candid LinkedIn post, Gavin Goslin, a former Treyarch level designer who spent years working on both titles, pointed out that because these ports are straight re-releases with virtually no new feature development, the original team ought to receive royalties from the renewed profits.

The re-releases of these games are being sold for $40 USD and immediately rose to the top in the United States and other regions.

“As a developer who actually worked on both BO1 and BO2, seeing these charts is bittersweet. I poured my life into those games, spending countless, brutal hours in crunch alongside an incredibly talented team to make sure they were perfect,” he wrote.

Goslin noted that while it is gratifying to see their work remain vibrant and popular in 2026, the financial reality behind retro re-releases leaves a bitter taste.

“To watch executives rake in massive financial windfalls off our old code, while the actual creators face unemployment and don’t see a dime of that new compensation, highlights a fundamental flaw in how our industry values its talent,” he added. “If legacy games are going to print money for publishers in 2026, legacy rewards and protections need to exist for the developers who survived the crunch to build them.”

Activision Wants to Repeat Success of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2

Goslin’s statements quickly went viral across social media and major media outlets. Addressing the coverage, the former Treyarch designer was happy to see his post had sparked renewed dialogue around this issue.

“Seeing Call of Duty: Black Ops I & II bring in an estimated $435 million in just one month from decades-old work is incredibly bittersweet. It is even harder to process knowing that many of the immensely talented, hard-working developers who built those specific titles from the ground up—including myself—were recently let go,” he wrote.

Gavin Goslin has argued that if companies intend to re-release classic games for substantial profit, the industry should establish “reward and protection” mechanisms for the developers who endured the grueling workdays required to create those projects.

“We need to keep pushing for fair compensation and better sustainability in game development,” he said.

In an interview with The Game Business, Activision Chief Marketing Officer Tyler Bahl admitted the company never anticipated this scale of engagement for the decade-old titles, adding that Activision plans to apply lessons from this release to future slate strategies.

What do you think about Gavin Goslin’s comments? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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