Activision Blizzard Wins Lawsuit Against Cheat Developers, Awarded $14.4 Million in Damages

Activision Blizzard, a prominent game developer recently acquired by Microsoft, has won a lawsuit against several companies and individuals over the issue of game cheats. A federal court in the United States ruled in favor of Activision Blizzard, ordering the two accused companies and eleven individuals to pay the game developer 14.4 million in economic damages, in addition to 14.4 million in economic damages, in addition to 292,900 in legal fees.

Activision Blizzard has invested significant resources in developing the Ricochet anti-cheat software series, which is used in games such as "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," "Call of Duty: Warzone," "Call of Duty: Mobile," and "Warzone Mobile." The integration of anti-cheat software aims to combat the use of cheats and mods by players, ensuring fair play and enhancing the gaming experience for all, while preventing the imbalance caused by cheats.

However, two shell companies named EO and Garnatz, along with eleven individuals, were accused of developing cheats and mods specifically targeting the Call of Duty series. They operated websites to sell these cheats to players, directly undermining the gaming experience for non-cheating players and damaging the reputation of the Call of Duty series, leading to incalculable losses for Activision Blizzard.

As a result, in January 2022, Activision Blizzard filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to prohibit the defendants from further developing and selling cheats for its games and to obtain financial compensation.

After two years of proceedings, the Federal District Court of California ruled in absentia against the defendants, ordering them to compensate Activision Blizzard. The total amount awarded for damages reached $14.465 million, although the specific amount varies from one individual/company to another.

It's noteworthy that the companies sued for cheating were shell entities without real presence in the United States, raising questions about Activision Blizzard's ability to collect the awarded damages.