Destiny 2 player to pay $490,000 in damages for racial harassment

The player sought a campaign of "racist, stochastic terrorism" against a community manager, the court said

News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer

Published on July 14, 2023

Content warning: Article contains references to racism and racial violence

A Destiny 2 player has been ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in damages to Bungie after racially harassing a community manager last year.

As reported by Game Developer, the unnamed employee featured artwork from a Black creator, Detrick 'Uhmaayyze' Houchens, as part of a spotlight on community members. In response, the player obtained the community manager's personal information and began a campaign of "racist, stochastic terrorism" towards them and their family, the court said.

They left multiple "hideous, bigoted" voicemails on their phone, including asking Bungie to "create options in its game in which only persons of color would be killed," according to court documents issued on July 11, 2023. The player also ordered pizza to the employee's address, requesting cash on delivery to create potential conflict.

Bungie quickly sought legal counsel for their employee, issuing protection and involving law enforcement.

As a result of the order, the player is legally required to pay $380,000 in damages, plus $25,000 in statutory damages, $84,000 in attorneys fees, and $200 in statutory attorneys fees bringing the total to $489,200.

In July 2022, Bungie filed a lawsuit against another Destiny 2 player for cheating and threatening employees on social media.