Last year, Activision Blizzard saw success in the courts, with EngineOwning – arguably the most prolific cheat provider in gaming – being ordered to pay a whopping $3 million in damages. This case concerned both Overwatch and Call of Duty, but it wasn’t the end of the debacle as AB refused to relent.
Now, a judge has ruled that EngineOwning owes Activision Blizzard around $15 million in damages and legal fees, based on the platform’s constant (successful) attempts to circumvent AB’s anti-cheat systems. Not only that but the court also ruled that the EngineOwning domain must be surrendered to Activision Blizzard.
Crime Doesn’t Pay
In this lengthy fight between EngineOwning and Activision Blizzard, thousands of gamers were named and revealed as having used EngineOwning’s cheat software. This included a slew of content creators who were effectively besmirched by the lawsuit – and their malicious activities.
It was claimed in the final documentation from the court case that, in the United States, EngineOwning’s software was downloaded 72,328 times. The court therefore found it ‘reasonable’ that AB sought such a high sum in damages. It was later revealed that attorney fees alone amounted to $292,912.
For years, EngineOwning has provided cheat solutions for Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, Battlefield, and Titanfall – amongst other games. The company also offered a hardware ID spoofer, which circumvents one of the core functions of anti-cheat software, particularly the high-end solutions that can enact ‘hardware bans’ against cheaters.
Ultimately, this won’t do much to slow down these malicious operators, as the video game cheating market is like a multi-headed hydra – but it’s certainly a solid blow.
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