Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant legal victory, receiving nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages following a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which garnered 500,000 views. The court found that the video defamed Mitchell by including inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims.
Mitchell's gaming accolades faced scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) rather than arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. This practice is against the rules set by the gaming community. However, after a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his scores reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his records were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.
The defamation lawsuit against Jobst, however, was not related to the validity of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores. Instead, Mitchell claimed that Jobst's 2021 video falsely implied that his prior lawsuit against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, had resulted in Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's tragic suicide in 2020. The video also allegedly suggested that Mitchell had taken pleasure in Smith's death.
After Mitchell threatened legal action, Jobst edited the video, and it was later confirmed by Smith's brother that no money had been paid. Jobst acknowledged the court's decision on X/Twitter, stating, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony." He emphasized that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on incorrect information from multiple sources. Jobst expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, vowing to continue his work and stand against intimidation.
The judge ordered Jobst to pay $187,800 (AU$300,000) for non-economic loss, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, and $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) in interest, totaling around $241,000. The court noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more in aggravated damages but awarded the amount requested by Mitchell.
Mitchell's fame in the gaming world was cemented not only by his perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s but also by the 2007 documentary, "King of Kong," which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
