Bungie, the developer behind the popular game Destiny 2, recently celebrated a significant legal victory against a cheat software provider. A court has ordered Romanian cheat seller Mihai Claudiu-Florentin to pay Bungie $12 million in damages for creating and selling the widely-used cheat software known as VeteranCheats.
As per TheGamePost, the lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, accused Claudiu-Florentin of copyright infringement, violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), breach of contract, intentional interference with contractual relations, and violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (CPA). The cheat software provided Destiny 2 players with unfair advantages such as improved aiming accuracy and the ability to see through walls.
Bungie contended that such cheat software detracted from the overall gaming experience for legitimate players, leading to a potential loss of revenue from in-game sales. The developer has reportedly spent over $2 million on game security staffing and software to combat cheat tools like VeteranCheats.
The court agreed with Bungie’s arguments, awarding them the total damages they sought: $11,696,000 in statutory damages for DMCA violations, $146,662.28 for Copyright Act violations, and $217,250.70 in attorneys’ fees and costs, totaling $12,059,912.98. Additionally, the court issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Claudiu-Florentin from further engaging in Destiny 2 copyright infringements.
Despite the legal action, the VeteranCheats website remains operational, offering cheat software for other major games such as Valorant, Call of Duty, GTA V, and PUBG. However, the site has removed the Destiny 2 cheats following the lawsuit.
This legal victory marks a significant step forward for game developers in their ongoing battle against online cheat providers. Bungie has also pursued legal action against other Destiny 2 cheat sellers, securing millions of dollars in damages in previous cases.
