Jesse James Comer, a Destiny 2 player who racially abused and terrorised a Bungie community manager and his family, has been ordered to pay almost $500,000 in damages. This comes after Comer was found to have organised a campaign of harassment towards the anonymous Bungie worker, stemming from his promotion of a Black artist in the Destiny community.
In response to the artwork being shared, Comer found the worker's address and phone number, leaving threatening messages and sending unpaid pizzas to his door. In one message, he told the worker (known only as John Doe) to "convince Bungie to create options in its game in which only persons of color would be killed." Doe and his wife complained that they feared for their safety, forcing Bungie to take "expensive measures", including round-the-clock security at their house.
Bungie also hired investigators to track down Comer, who at this point was using an alias. Once identified, the studio also paid for the legal fees incurred when bringing action against Comer. The court has now very much ruled in its favour, finding Comer liable for invasion of privacy and interfering with its business operations, since Doe had to take time off work for his own safety.
As a result, Comer is ordered to pay $489,435 to Bungie. It isn't known how much will go to the victim.
Paralegal Kathryn Tewson, who helped Bungie win the case, has shared some insight into the matter on Twitter. She says that Comer - a "racist shitstain of a human being" - didn't even bother to defend himself in court. Tewson says the case will set a precedent that makes it easier for employers to protect employees from online harassment.
It remains to be seen if Comer tries to appeal, although it definitely doesn't look like he has a legal team ready to argue his case for him. The case will hopefully act as a deterrent to shitheads online that think they're entitled to abuse those in the gaming industry, and empower studios like Bungie to offer them all the protection they need. We now know that the court is willing to ensure that companies are compensated for these expenses, so we could see more employers take an active role in keeping their workers safe.