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's video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" garnered over 500,000 views but was found by the court to contain defamatory and unsubstantiated claims against Mitchell.
Mitchell's gaming credentials were previously under scrutiny when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards in 2018 due to allegations of using a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to set 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.
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 legitimacy of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores but centered around Jobst's video from 2021. The video allegedly implied that Mitchell's previous lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith owing $1 million in damages and contributed to his tragic suicide in 2020. It also suggested that Mitchell had "expressed joy" at the thought of Smith's suicide. Jobst later edited the video following Mitchell's legal threats, and it was confirmed by Smith's brother that no money was paid.
Jobst acknowledged his loss on X/Twitter, stating that the judge found Mitchell to be a credible witness and accepted his entire testimony. Jobst clarified that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims regarding Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." He expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his commitment to continue fighting against what he perceives as bullying and defending his right to free expression.
The court ordered Jobst to pay 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 awarded more in aggravated damages but respected Mitchell's request for the specified amount.
Mitchell's fame in the gaming world was cemented with his perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s and further highlighted in the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
