Activision sentenced to pay R$ 8 thousand for arbitrary ban in CoD

The Activision Blizzard was sentenced to pay R$ 8,000 for moral damages to a Brazilian player who had his Call of Duty Mobile account blocked for three months. The sentence, issued by the 12th Civil Court of Campinas (SP) and disclosed on Friday by the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ-SP) (according to G1), represents a critical point in the treatment of consumers in gaming environments. The decision still allows for appeal.

The lawsuit was filed by Felipe Tullio, 41 years old, who was surprised in August 2024 with a message informing the permanent suspension of his account. The player claimed that Activision did not provide detailed explanations for the ban and that all attempts to contact support were unanswered.

Activision Blizzard argued in the defense that they had identified signs of illegal software use, justifying the suspension as a "preventive measure". However, Judge Herivelto Araujo Godoy was not convinced by the argument, emphasizing the lack of evidence and the disproportionality of the penalty.

According to the judge, the applied punishment was “arbitrary and abusive” because it occurred "without concrete justification" and "without providing the consumer with means to contest the decision administratively". Judge Godoy assessed that the incident "goes beyond a mere annoyance", affecting the honor and dignity of the consumer in the virtual environment. The sentence emphasizes that the act harmed the player's reputation within the online community, due to the suspicion of cheating that the ban carried.

After the lawsuit was filed and the granting of an emergency injunction, Felipe's account was restored with all purchased items. However, the player reported losing important progress in rankings and game seasons, as well as distancing from virtual friendships during the blocking period. Felipe, who had been playing Call of Duty since 2018, said that the incident took away some of the pleasure he had with the activity, returning "accompanied by discouragement".

Activision Blizzard was sentenced to pay R$ 8,000 in moral damages to Felipe Tullio (41 years old) for the arbitrary suspension of his Call of Duty Mobile account for three months in August 2024. Judge Herivelto Araujo Godoy of the 12th Civil Court of Campinas (SP) deemed the punishment abusive due to the lack of evidence of illegal software use and the absence of means of contestation. The player, who had the account restored after emergency injunction, reported loss of progress and discouragement.