Activision, the game publisher behind the Call of Duty (COD) games, has filed a lawsuit against EngineOwning, as well as individuals it claims work for the company, as part of a crackdown on alleged cheat developers.
The court action marks an increased focus by Activision on cheat creators; the publisher is arguing that users who exploit these hacks disrupt the first-person shooter games, ruining the experience for non-cheating players.
“The COD Games are designed to be enjoyed by and fair for all players. When players use exploits like the Cheating Software, such conduct disturbs game balance and in many cases leads non-cheating players to quit matches in frustration,” the lawsuit claims.
Activision argues that it has been forced to “spend an enormous amount of resources to combat cheating in its games,” and says hacks have caused the company “to suffer massive and irreparable damage.”
By this lawsuit, Activision seeks to put a stop to unlawful conduct by an organization that is distributing and selling for profit numerous malicious software products.
EngineOwning reportedly offers cheats for COD’s popular ‘Warzone’ game at prices ranging from €4.99 ($5.64) to €39.99 ($45.21), with available hacks including aimbots, the ability to see through walls, and triggerbots, according to the lawsuit.
Activision’s legal action names specific individuals that it argues are involved with EngineOwning, including its alleged leader Valentin Rick.
This is not the first time that Activision has sought to stop cheat developers. Back in 2020, CxCheat.net stopped creating and selling COD hacks after it claimed the game developer had threatened legal action.
At the time, it was reported that a CxCheat.net had posted in the company’s Discord channel that any player using their hacks could be suspended or permanently banned by Activision. The Discord channel subsequently went offline. No lawsuit appeared to have been publicly filed by Activision against CxCheat.net.
Activision and EngineOwning have not currently commented publicly on the lawsuit.