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's video, titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!", which garnered 500,000 views, was found to contain defamatory content against Mitchell, including inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims.
Mitchell, known as the "King of Kong," faced controversy in 2018 when his high scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of traditional arcade cabinets to set records in games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have his scores reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his records 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/Gett Images.
However, Mitchell's lawsuit against Jobst was not about the validity of his Donkey Kong scores but rather centered on claims made in Jobst's 2021 video. The video suggested that Mitchell's previous legal action against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, led to Smith owing $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. It also implied that Mitchell had expressed joy over Smith's death. After Mitchell's legal threat, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid.
Jobst took to X/Twitter to acknowledge the court's decision, stating, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony." He emphasized that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed his regret and gratitude for the support he received, vowing to repay those who supported him.
In his ruling, 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 awarded more in aggravated damages but adhered to the amount Mitchell sought.
Mitchell, who achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s, became widely recognized through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
