Space-based MMO EVE Online has a reputation for being somewhat difficult and tedious to actually play—while at the same time being one of the best games to watch others play (this video, for example, makes EVE seem thoroughly awesome). But the game is practically the platonic ideal of a Hilarious Story Generator—game creator CCP Games encourages players to do creative things in-game, which regularly leads to amazing stories of almost unbelievable shenanigans.

Yesterday’s massive blow-up has managed to top them all. By the time it was over, a player coalition had been effectively destroyed and a whole slew of assets worth tens of thousands of real-world dollars had been stolen. SomethingAwful’s Goonswarm Federation has taken credit for engineering the largest and potentially most disruptive blow-up in the game’s history. Kotaku tells the entire story in great detail, but here’s the short version.

Look, Ma! No hands!

The player group on the receiving end of the screwjob is called Circle of Two, or just “CO2.” A high-ranking CO2 player named “The Judge” was approached by a high-ranking Goonswarm player named Aryth, who over the course of a few months managed to flip The Judge’s loyalties. The loyalty-flipping was centered around—what else?—past slights and wars that occurred between Goonswarm, CO2, and other player groups.

On September 11, Aryth triggered the final stage of the plan to undermine CO2, and The Judge absconded with trillions of ISK (EVE’s in-game currency) worth of CO2’s ships and modules. The Judge also promised to turn over access to CO2’s pride and joy: a Keepstar Citadel, one of the largest and most expensive constructs in the game.

CO2 was caught up short, and its leadership quickly lost its cool. CO2’s leader—a player named gigX—became enraged, requesting the real-life address and location of The Judge and threatening to cut off The Judge’s hands.

For his threats, CCP permanently kicked gigX out of the game. Goonswarm’s coffers were heavily boosted (along with those of CO2’s other arch-enemy, the TEST player group), CO2 was effectively destroyed, and at least one player was permanently banned.

Just a regular Wednesday in EVE.