Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant legal victory, winning nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages after successfully suing Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst for defamation. 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 amassed over 500,000 views. The court ruled that the video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims against Mitchell.
Mitchell's reputation in the gaming world was previously tarnished in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards following allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., which violates the rules. However, after a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have his achievements reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website and his high scores were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.
Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has won a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images.
The defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores but stemmed from claims in Jobst's 2021 video. Mitchell alleged that the video falsely implied that his earlier lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith resulted in Smith owing $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 took to X/Twitter to acknowledge his loss, stating that the judge found Mitchell to be a credible witness and believed his testimony. He clarified 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 work hard to repay his supporters while standing firm on not allowing a "bully to control my free expression."
The judge awarded Mitchell $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 that was the amount Mitchell requested and was awarded.
Mitchell first gained fame in the arcade gaming community by achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s, and his rivalry with Steve Wiebe was highlighted in the 2007 documentary, "King of Kong."
