Modern Warfare 2 cheat developers fined $3 million for damages to Activision

Two associates related to the infamous Call of Duty cheat maker company, EngineOwning, have been struck with a hefty fine for creating cheats to bypass Modern Warfare 2 and several other Activision, Blizzard titles’ anti-cheat engine, as per reports from online sources.

Cheating in video games has existed since the very beginning of the industry, with players eager to opt for a shortcut towards success or trouble legit gamers in high-elo. It's especially common in competitive, free-to-play games, where players have a lot to lose if they fail to win a match.

That said, even premium Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare 2 have not been entirely immune to cheaters. As reported by players, the newly deployed Ranked Play mode in Modern Warfare 2 often spawns scammers who use third-party illegal software to get past the in-house anti-cheat solution, RICOCHET, resulting in chaos and disappointment. Many CDL pros have called upon the situation and abandoned the playlist out of annoyance.

While cheaters are a long-standing nuisance in Call of Duty games, a judge has finally ruled in favor of Activision by punishing two cheat makers who work for EngineOwning with a humongous charge.

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Cheat makers for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 pay $3,000,000 in damages to Activision following a strict court ruling

As per earlier reports, Activision had originally filed a lawsuit against EngineOwning, stating that the latter’s malicious cheats and hacks caused the popular video game company millions of dollars worth of damage. The discussion continued in court up until now, when a judge finally decided to share a fair ruling.

The judgment (Image via Axios)

Axios’ Stephen Totilo spotted the judgment against EngineOwning and shared the same on Twitter. The ruling states that two individuals of the names Manuel Santiago and Ignacio Gayduchenko are required to pay a total of $3,000,000 fines to Activision for creating cheats and hacks in collaboration with EngineOwning.

The people in question have also been restricted from creating software (cheats, hacks) that's capable of violating the Terms of Service and End-User License agreements for the foreseeable future.

Not only Activision, but many publishers like Bungie and Take-Two Interactive have sued alleged cheat makers for millions of dollars in the past and found relative success. As we speak, Bungie is currently pursuing another popular cheat maker, AimJunkies, and while a final hearing on the case is still pending, a judge has already urged AimJunkies to pay over $4,000,000 in fines to compensate for the damage caused.

Despite the presence of robust and ever-evolving anti-cheat services, cheat makers have continued to step up their game, shocking publishers with their creations and methods to bypass the grid. As a result, many publishers have resorted to taking help from the legal system to stop such blatant activities.

Activision's lawsuit and its impressive (and expensive) ruling will have a major effect on EngineOwning and several other companies who indulge in malpractice and offer players an illegal way out to dominate in competitive games like Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.