It is still fresh in everyone’s mind how Rockstar games got hacked last year, and a lot of the GTA 6-related content got leaked online. Now, it is Insomniac Games, the creators of Marvel’s Spider-Man series, who became victims of a ransom attack for their upcoming Wolverine title.
According to CyberDaily, the Rhysida group is behind this attack on American video game developers. They managed to get sensitive information from former and current employees of Insomniac Games. Moreover, they also gained the personal details of Yuri Lowenthal, who voiced Peter Parker in the Spider-Man games.
The group of hackers gave the American game developers seven days to pay an undisclosed amount of ransom. If they don’t follow the instructions, the Rhysida group has threatened to leak some of the data of their upcoming project online.
Besides the ransom money and leaking data online, the hackers also claimed they would auction most of the data they acquired for $2 million. Furthermore, they insisted they would sell it to only one party, and would not allow reselling. Meanwhile, Insomniac Games is still silent on the issue, as they are yet to make an official statement.
How do such hacks affect the sanctity of game development?
Ransom attacks have lately become a significant problem for the gaming industry. Creating a video game is already a stressful process, and these hackers only add more to that. Nowadays, the developers are under constant threat of being watched all the time.
Hackers gaining access to personal information always frightens developers, as they worry about the safety of their family or loved ones. Moreover, hackers leaking upcoming game information disrupts development by allowing fans to see data they are not supposed to see. It might cause fans to criticize the game before its release date.
These leaks and criticisms then force developers to shorten the development period to release the title early. As a result, the final product is frequently inferior and filled with glitches. This eventually results in a failed launch. It is bad for any video game and the studio behind it, as they not only deal with financial loss but also lose the fans’ trust.
Now there are also cases where developers intentionally let hackers or data miners leak information related to their games. It works as a free marketing tactic for them to build hype around the game. However, it could be a double-edged sword, as these leaks might pique the fans’ interest but also bring the risk of them criticizing an unfinished project.
