First reported by independent journalist and former Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo, Bungie has won its lawsuit against cheat maker Phoenix Digital (also known as AimJunkies). The first of its kind jury trial rewarded $63,210 in damages to Bungie—a rounding error for a company of this size—but it more importantly sets a new legal precedent supporting game studios looking to sue cheat makers—or, more worryingly, anyone who violates a company's copyright by modifying its games.
Devs suing cheat makers isn't new: Bungie has led the charge on lawsuits against these services, which have become professionalized in recent years, often selling cheats for specific games on a subscription basis. In addition to playing the whack-a-mole game of developing new, more invasive forms of anticheat software, the legal strategy has paid dividends for Bungie and other developers like Riot Games.
