Activision has filed a lawsuit against Ryan Rothholz, the creator of Call of Duty hacking software known as Lergware and GameHook. The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, also names Collin Gyetvai and Jordan Newcombe Boothey as collaborators recruited by Rothholz to resell the hacks. According to the lawsuit, Rothholz developed and released Lergware in 2021 or 2022, selling it for $25 through his website.
In 2023, he allegedly updated the software to work with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Activision in June 2023, Rothholz reportedly mocked the company by posting the letter to a Discord community dedicated to Lergware. The lawsuit claims that Rothholz continued his activities under different aliases and distributed the source code to other hackers.
Activision sues hackers over game exploits
Gyetvai and Boothey allegedly resold GameHook, which was made available for several Call of Duty games, costing at least $50 per game and $375 for lifetime access to a master key covering all supported games. Activision accuses the defendants of generating significant revenue from these hacks, damaging the company’s reputation, and causing a loss of customer goodwill.
The lawsuit argues that the hacks have made the multiplayer experience so toxic that many PC players are quitting Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The company states, “GameHook has been so frustrating to players that it received significant attention on social media and, on information and belief, has caused players to stop playing or avoid the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Activision offered the defendants an opportunity to comply without litigation, but they allegedly ignored the outreach, prompting the lawsuit. The company seeks monetary, injunctive, and punitive damages, potentially amounting to millions.
The lawsuit is part of Activision’s ongoing efforts to combat cheating and hacking in Call of Duty, which the company argues harms player communities and impacts its ability to provide a high-quality online experience.
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
