A German company creating hacks for Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm has been ordered to pay Blizzard Entertainment $8.7 million in damages after losing a lawsuit in a California court.
Blizzard, which submitted the case in mid-March, argued that Bossland’s products “destroy the integrity of the Blizzard games, thereby alienating and frustrating legitimate players and diverting revenue from Blizzard to defendants.”
Cheats like “Watchover Tyrant,” “Honorbuddy,” and “Demonbuddy” are considered copyright infringement, but also violate the company’s user agreement.
Bossland’s hacks bypass Blizzard’s anti-cheat programming, allowing players to see other players through walls and reveal health information, among other uses.
Despite the ongoing legal battle in both the United States and Germany, Bossland opted out of defending itself in court, making the lawsuit a relatively easy win for Blizzard, according to news site TorrentFreak. Despite this, Bossland’s websites remain active, collecting subscriptions from U.S.-based users.
Should Bossland continue selling its services, it could face another lawsuit—and it will continue to be costly. The court awarded Blizzard $200 per violation. Blizzard argued that Bossland has 42,818 violations within the United States.
