The litigious solution to cheating in games is one that’s well-established by this point. Blizzard and other online gaming companies are well known for this, and now Ubisoft is getting in on the action to defend Rainbow Six Siege from cheaters. Rainbow Six Siege was released on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 2015. Since then, the company has had to crack down on cheating quite a bit. Permanent bans are obviously not enough to dissuade cheaters though, as a new lawsuit filed by Ubisoft alleges that a third-party company has been openly selling cheating software for the online shooter, flouting the EULA and potentially violating Ubisoft copyright protections in the process.
Establishing guilt and laying out the facts of the case is always a tricky thing in copyright-based litigation like this, and there will be some pretty serious argument going on if the defendant decides to contest the allegations. The newest lawsuit makes the whole thing pretty easy to understand though, saying that the cheat software in question, titled “Budget Edition Rainbow Six Siege Cheat,” “thousands of times.” This means that thousands of gamers can intentionally fix the outcome of online matches by ensuring they don’t lose, completely destroying the balance and competitive spirit of the game at a basic level.
The software was sold as a subscription-based service, retailing for around $77 a month at the top level, making thousands every month for the site operator. Ubisoft said the cheat makers — including the site owner, called J.V.L. in the lawsuit, as he’s a minor — have violated copyright, are “trafficking in circumvention devices,” and encouraged Rainbow Six Siege players to flout regulations surrounding the game. The chain of custody of the payments is also being linked to J.V.L., as a payment processor on the website was linked to a web design firm, Simply San Webdesign, a company purportedly owned and operated by J.V.L.’s mother.
Ubisoft hasn’t had an easy month though, despite what many assume to be this easy court victory. The company has revised its financial outlook going into 2020 after disappointing sales of Ghost Recon Breakpoint caused a sharp downturn in profit projections. Things are so bad that Ubisoft has even delayed the launch of three of its bigger titles by a few months to give them more time for polish and refinement. It all signals a pretty bad trend, and whether the company can rebound and begin putting out quality games in 2020 and beyond remains to be seen.
What Happens Next?
Well, for one thing Mizusoft will disappear. The website hosting the sales of this software is down as of today. The case though is still pending, although the law firm leading the charge assures their client of an easy victory, as the facts of the case seem pretty cut and dry in their opinion:
In fact, Defendant J.V.L. recently bragged to the media that his Cheating Software ruins R6S for other players. He also readily admitted that if he were to be sued by Ubisoft he would have a “tough time” defending his conduct.
You can find the full legal filing below:
by on Scribd
Update: A Ubisoft representative told Polygon is does not comment on “ongoing legal matters.”