Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured nearly a quarter of a million dollars in a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst, as reported by PC Gamer. Jobst, known for his focus on competitive and speedrunning gaming content, featured Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which garnered 500,000 views. The court found that Jobst's video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims against Mitchell.
Mitchell's gaming accolades faced scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards due to allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. After six years of defending his records, Mitchell successfully had his scores reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' site and 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/Get
Mitchell's lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of his Donkey Kong scores but stemmed from claims in Jobst's 2021 video. The video allegedly implied that Mitchell's previous legal action against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. It also suggested that Mitchell had taken pleasure in Smith's death.
Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst admitted defeat on X/Twitter, stating, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony." He clarified that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and his claims about Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed his intention to explore further options despite the ruling and thanked his supporters, emphasizing his commitment to repaying their support.
In a subsequent update, Jobst reiterated his stance, saying, "I am proud that I never backed down and never allowed a bully to control my free expression."
The court 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 approximately $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but awarded the amount Mitchell requested.
Mitchell first gained fame in the arcade scene by achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s and later became widely known through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which documented his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
