In a joint lawsuit filed last Friday, Riot Games and Bungie are suing cheat developer GatorCheats over tools used to cheat in Valorant and Destiny 2.
The lawsuit alleges that GatorCheats has been selling a tool known as “Gatorant” as well as a collection of tools for use in Destiny 2‘s Crucible PvP modes such as aimbots (which automatically lock on to an opposing player) and wallhacks (which reveal player positions through otherwise opaque walls). The suit points out that GatorCheats, along with other sites purportedly run by the same person, Cameron Santos, has openly claimed to be “the best website for safe and secure video game cheats.” The companies are suing Santos, along with three “John Doe” individuals who allegedly provided tech support for the cheats, for violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Bungie reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to GatorCheats in November, but claims that GatorCheats continued to sell and support the software. GatorCheats was selling the Destiny 2 cheats at a quarterly rate of $100 USD, or $250 for a “lifetime” license. The “Gatorant” cheat was going for a monthly subscription fee of $90 USD, or $250 per quarter, and $500 for a lifetime license.
At the present time, there has not been any response by Santos or the other defendants. Riot and Bungie have stated in their suit that they “seek to put a stop to the unlawful, for-profit sale and distribution of malicious software products designed to enable members of the public to gain unfair competitive advantages.
Food For Thought
This is one of the rare instances where the DMCA really should be utilized. It’s not terribly enjoyable when somebody constantly blows you away because they’ve loaded up with aimbots and wallhacks, and the prices given for the cheats borders on extortionate given how fleetingly the advantages might be usable. While it’s still early, one could very easily see a summary judgment coming out of this one.
