ALBAWABA – Bungie, developer of Destiny 2, has won a lawsuit against cheat and mod maker Phoenix Digital, also known as AimJunkies, for violating the studio’s copyrights by developing cheats for Destiny 2, as reported by journalist Stephen Totilo, marking a first-of-a-kind legal win in the gaming industry.
While Bungie is being rewarded only $63,210 in damages, the lawsuit could potentially set a legal precedent being the first time a game development studio wins over a cheat software developer, according to The Verge, with counsel James Barker stating that Bungie is “committed to our players and will continue to protect them against cheats, including taking this and future cases all the way to trial.”
Bungie filed a lawsuit AimJunkies and four defendants earlier in 2021, claiming that they had broken into Destiny 2 in order to get the code needed to create hacks. Among Bungie's accusations were claims that AimJunkies had breached a DMCA clause prohibiting the use of copyright protection technology.
A Bungie lawyer told Insider Gaming that the company is “grateful for the diligence, professionalism, and care exercised by the Judge, his staff, and the Jury. We’re committed to our players and will continue to protect them against cheats, including taking this and future cases all the way to trial.”
Developers have long sued cheaters, as reported by PCGamer, with lawsuits targeting such modders, which have become more professional in recent years and often provide game hacks for a fee, being spearheaded by Bungie.
PCGamer also notes how cheat makers have often given up quickly when faced with legal pressure like this, but the jury's verdict will be appealed, as Phoenix Digital has made clear, claiming Bungie has had "illegal access to their computer systems," in order to win the case.
