Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured a significant victory in court, winning nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages from Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst, who was found guilty of defamation. 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 ruled that the 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 MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., a practice that violates the rules. After a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his scores reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website and 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/[ttpp]Getty Images[ttpp].However, Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not about the validity of his Donkey Kong scores. Instead, Mitchell claimed that Jobst's 2021 video falsely implied that his previous legal action against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, resulted in Smith having to pay $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's tragic suicide in 2020. The video also allegedly suggested that Mitchell had taken pleasure in the thought of Smith's death.
Following legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money was paid. Jobst took to X/Twitter to acknowledge his loss, stating, "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 that his assertions about Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his commitment to repaying his supporters and standing firm against what he perceived as bullying.
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 awarded more in aggravated damages but adhered to the amount sought by Mitchell.
Mitchell's fame in the gaming community stems from his perfect score in Pac-Man in the '80s and was further cemented by the 2007 documentary King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.
