‘Overwatch,' ‘Pokémon Go’ Cheat Bot Maker Bossland Loses Lawsuit To Blizzard

Blizzard filed a lawsuit against Bossland in early March, and court orders via TorrentFreak confirm the developer was handed a pretty easy victory and $8.5 million in damages. The Bossland bot makers are most popular for creating cheats for games like Overwatch and Pokémon Go, but that operation will soon come to a halt in the United States.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, bots are third-party tools sold on the promise of unfair advantages in multiplayer games. Watchover Tyrant, for example, allows for improved aiming, boosted health and unlimited ammo. In Pokémon Go’s case, Bossland simply cracked the game’s code to spawn other products like NecroBot. With it, you can find any monster you’re looking for while loading up on popular items for free.

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Blizzard doesn’t develop Pokémon Go of course, but it does own Overwatch, Heroes Of The Storm, Diablo, World Of Warcraft and Hearthstone. All of those titles have bots made by Bossland. Courts found these tools to be a violation of DMCA copyright agreements within the United States. As a result, the full purse plus legal fees was spread over 42,000 individual violations. Bossland’s bots were not only deemed to hurt the experience of the games they were made for but also their developer. Blizzard had to spend funds and endure reputation assaults from users in its effort to combat cheaters.

It should be noted, however, that the verdict wasn’t too difficult to render since Bossland failed to provide any representation to explain its side of the issue. The results can still be appealed, but Bossland has not communicated with Blizzard for quite some time.

While there’s still lots of legal jargon to wade through, the decision might have a noticeable impact on gamers in the United States. Per the court’s ruling, all Bossland tools can no longer be sold in the U.S. That essentially means users might eventually see fewer cheaters online. However, because no other territories are impacted, the larger result probably won’t be a drastic one.

Blizzard has been feuding with Bossland for several years, and it appears the spat has finally come to a close for now. The recent decision is a victory for one developer, but it should also be seen as a positive for players that bemoan the ongoing struggle against online cheaters.

Are you happy with the court’s ruling? Should all bots be outlawed in other countries too? Tell us in the comments section!