Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant legal victory, winning nearly a quarter of a million dollars in 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 Jobst's video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.
Mitchell's gaming accolades came under scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his records reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his high scores were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.
The defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores but stemmed from Jobst's 2021 video. Mitchell alleged that the video falsely implied that his previous lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith resulted in Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. The video also reportedly suggested that Mitchell had expressed joy at the thought of Smith's suicide.
After Mitchell threatened legal action, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst acknowledged his defeat on X/Twitter, stating that the judge found Mitchell to be a credible witness and believed his testimony. Jobst clarified that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on incorrect information from multiple sources.
"I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony," Jobst stated, adding, "From that point on unfortunately there was really nothing that could have saved me. I will now obviously consider my options."
Jobst expressed regret for disappointing his supporters and vowed to work hard to repay their support. He also emphasized his pride in standing up against what he perceived as bullying and defending his right to free expression.
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 judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but awarded the amount Mitchell requested.
Mitchell, who achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s, rose to fame through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
