In a major court victory, developer Bungie has won almost $500,000 in damages against a Destiny 2 player who harassed one of its community managers. This was preceded by defendant James Comer being “incensed” over fan art by a Black community member being given the spotlight. Comer then sent racist and abusive calls to the manager and his wife, and in an effort to intimidate them, arranged for an unsolicited pizza order to be delivered to their home.
“The choice to highlight work by a fan of color incensed Comer, and on or about June 2, 2022, Comer started his campaign of racist, stochastic terrorism against the Does and Bungie,” the court document read. “Comer spent hours that day carpet bombing the Does with racist text and voice messages. Not satisfied, he decided to show the Does that he knew where they lived and could assault them there. Comer used an anonymous number to place a cash-on-delivery order with Domino’s Pizza for a virtually inedible, odiferous pizza.”
The Washington state court ruled in Bungie’s favor and Comer is now expected to pay over $489,000 in damages. This includes expenses related to the case, Bungie’s efforts to protect its employees with security measures for the couple, and the fees from Bungie’s legal team for prosecuting him. This victory is also an important one for companies in general, as it sets a new legal precedent that will allow for greater protective measures to be taken for victims of cyber-stalking.
In a Twitter thread by Kathryn Tewson, the paralegal highlighted the significance of the judgment and how it establishes that there can be consequences for trolling and harassment, especially when such actions can escalate toward acts of real-world violence.
Good afternoon! I’m taking a moment to highlight a win we got yesterday on behalf of @Bungie, who sprang into action to ensure the safety of an employee who was targeted for racist harassment and threats last year.
— Kathryn Tewson (@KathrynTewson) July 12, 2023
Bungie hasn’t shied away from flexing its legal muscle in recent months, as in addition to protecting its staff, the company has also taken aim at cheaters and alleged leakers in its community.
The studio recently won a $6.7 million judgment against Lavicheats in a US district court, it won a similar lawsuit against VeteranCheats for $12 million, and the company sued a Destiny 2 player for toxic behavior.
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