8Bit/Digi

A French Court has ruled to dismiss the Savimbi family lawsuit against Activsion for the portrayal of the late Jonas Savimbi in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

The magistrates overseeing the case stated that the lawsuit contained procedural flaws and that they had no jurisdiction in the matter. The Savimbi family have expressed their disappointment by the ruling

Back in January; three of Savimbi’s children filed a lawsuit against Activsion claiming the game portrays their father as a “barbarian”. They were seeking €1 million in damages. Savimbi appears in Black Ops II as an ally of the CIA during the Angola Civil War. He helps Alex Mason and Jason Hudson search for Frank Woods.

This is the second time that the estate of a historical figure has sued Activsion over their portrayal. Back in 2014, Manuel Noriega filed a defamation lawsuit in a California, claiming the game used his likeness without consent while portraying him as a criminal. The case was dismissed due to its violation of the states anti-SLAAP laws. Also noted was the fact that Noriega had been convicted in multiple jurisdictions over the atrocities committed by his regime.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the ninth game in the series and was released on November 13, 2012 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game focus on a father and son in the special forces as they hunt a terrorist starting from the Cold War circa 1980s up until the near future.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides an insight into the gaming community and industry of the Bay Area.