Bungie’s lawyers are having a monumental week, as it has just been revealed that the company has secured its third lawsuit against cheat makers within just eight days. It started with a win in a $12m lawsuit against ‘VeteranCheats’, which was followed by a $6.7m win against ‘LaviCheats’, and now, Bungie has won its third lawsuit, successfully suing cheat-maker Daniel Larson for $16.2m.
In February, Bungie also took down ‘AimJunkies’ in a $4.4m win. It’s an impressive streak for the Destiny 2 developer, and it’s a clear, tangible example of what happens to those out there that are manufacturing cheats for popular games.
Crime Doesn’t Pay
Reportedly, the lawsuit against Daniel Larsen kicked off more than a year ago, when Bungie secured a $13.5m settlement against Elite Boss Tech, yet another developer of malicious cheats. It seemed that the case wasn’t closed following the settlement, as Bungie wanted to make sure that absolutely everyone embroiled in the lawsuit got their just desserts.
So, that led them to uncover the identity of Daniel Larsen, who worked for Elite Boss Tech in developing the cheats for Destiny 2. While others cooperated in the case, Larsen didn’t, and therefore, he was slapped with his own lawsuit from Bungie, and owing to his ignorance, he received a default judgement that saw the courts award Bungie a $16.2 million settlement.
Bungie certainly doesn’t take these infractions lightly. Recently, it was revealed that a Destiny 2 leaker was officially banned from attending any future events related to the game – he’s lucky he wasn’t also sued.
At this point, it’s a waiting game to see if Bungie actually collects on these settlements. It has been stated that Larsen lives in Denmark, which may present issues when it comes to actually obtaining the money from him. Ultimately, it’s less about the money and more about slamming the lid down on cheat developers, and Bungie’s work here will resonate across the industry and hopefully impact other titles.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the Devolver Direct showcase coming in June.
