Activision Publishing has emerged victorious in its legal confrontation with cheating Call of Duty software providers, securing a $14.4 million judgment. The U.S. District Court in California, presided over by Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, issued a default judgment mandating the defendants to pay $14.465 million in damages and an additional $292,912 in attorneys' fees.
Defendants and Legal Actions
The lawsuit targeted EngineOwning UG, Garnatz Enterprise Ltd, and 11 individuals, including Valentin Rick and Leonard Bugla. These entities were accused of creating and distributing cheat codes for various Call of Duty games, which Activision argued degraded the gaming experience for legitimate players and harmed the franchise's reputation. The court's ruling also includes a permanent injunction, effectively halting the operations of these defendants.
BREAKING: Activision has been granted default judgement in its court case against cheat provider EngineOwning.
Judge ruled EngineOwning owes Activision $14.45M in damages and $292,900 in legal fees.
Judge ruled EngineOwning website domain must be transferred to Activision. pic.twitter.com/oWTbYygiZe
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) May 29, 2024
Timeline and Legal Proceedings
The legal action began on January 4, 2022, with an amended complaint filed on September 16, 2022. The judgment followed a hearing on May 20, where Activision's motion was granted. The court's decision allows Activision to seize control of EngineOwning's operations, including its domain name, marking a significant blow to one of the most notorious cheat providers.
Activision's victory is part of a broader strategy to maintain fair play in its gaming environments. The company has invested heavily in its RICOCHET anti-cheat system, designed to protect games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Warzone Mobile from sophisticated cheating tactics. This legal success underscores Activision's commitment to ensuring a competitive and enjoyable gaming experience for its global community.
The lawsuit also revealed that several high-profile content creators had used the cheating software, highlighting the widespread impact of these illicit tools. Activision claimed that the cheat providers had caused millions of dollars in damages, emphasizing the financial and reputational stakes involved.
