An Australian court has mandated YouTuber Karl Jobst to pay over AU$380,000 (around $237,000 / £183,000) to Billy Mitchell, a renowned arcade gamer, for defamatory comments made in a video from 2021. Jobst, known for his gaming content in Queensland, cast doubt on Mitchell’s high scores on the game Donkey Kong.

Mitchell’s scores, which were under scrutiny since 2017, had resulted in his removal from record lists, leading to a complex series of legal battles before his records were eventually reinstated. One notable lawsuit involved claims from the late YouTuber Benjamin Smith, known as Apollo Legend, who alleged that Mitchell had cheated.

In his video titled ‘The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!’, Jobst insinuated that Mitchell had a financial arrangement with Smith that contributed to Smith’s suicide in 2020. Jobst’s assertions that Mitchell had expressed happiness regarding Smith’s death were pivotal in prompting this lawsuit.

Court judge Ken Barlow determined that the supposed settlement between Mitchell and Smith did not involve any monetary exchange. Smith was instead obliged to retract his statements, removing all related videos and social media posts.

In the ruling, Jobst was fined AU$300,000 for non-economic damages, AU$50,000 for aggravated damages, and AU$34,668.50 in interest. The judge acknowledged that there might have been grounds to impose a larger fine but awarded the amount requested by Mitchell instead. Jobst reacted to the verdict, admitting his loss and recognizing the credibility of Mitchell’s testimony, while expressing gratitude for his supporters.