A federal court has ruled in favor of Activision Publishing in a lawsuit against EngineOwning UG, Garnatz Enterprise Ltd, and 11 individuals, awarding a $14.4 million judgment. U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald in California issued the default judgment, holding the defendants liable for $14.465 million in statutory damages and $292,912 in attorneys’ fees.
The individuals named in the lawsuit include Valentin Rick, Leonard Bugla, Leon Frisch, and others. The court also issued a permanent injunction against the cheaters’ site operated by the defendants.
Activision filed the lawsuit in January, 2022, accusing the defendants of profiting from the sale of cheats that provide unfair advantages to players in Call of Duty games. The gaming company argued that the cheating software undermines the game experience for non-cheating players and damages the reputation of the game. Activision also claimed that the software was designed to evade detection by the company’s anti-cheating technology.
EngineOwning UG and Garnatz Enterprise Ltd are foreign-based shell companies, according to Activision. The gaming company stated that it has invested significant resources in developing its Ricochet anti-cheat software to protect games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Warzone Mobile.
The judgment serves as a significant victory for Activision in its ongoing efforts to combat cheating and maintain fair gameplay in its popular Call of Duty franchise.