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A week after unsuccessfully blackmailing Sony for a $2 million payout, a ransomware outfit has leaked a trove of internal data from Insomniac Games totalling 1.67 terabytes.
Oh, to be a game developer.
In what is becoming an alarmingly regular occurrence, yet another major game studio has fallen victim to an illicit hacking operation.
This time, Sony’s Insomniac Games has been ransacked for digital assets totalling over 1.67 terabytes.
Employees of the studio behind The Amazing Spiderman games have had personal information leaked, including passport scans, and a pre-alpha build of Marvel’s Wolverine has been revealed potentially years before its slated release.
Notorious ransomware group Rhysida attempted to blackmail Sony last week, warning that private company data would be made publicly available if the entertainment giant failed to transfer $2 million within seven days. Sony, of course, refused to cooperate.
In the hours since the supposed deadline, the lion’s share of 1.3 million files have been released in a series of catalogues on Rhysida’s shady online forum.
If you’ve ever invested years into making something and it debuts prematurely in an unintended way – it’s a massive gut punch. PLEASE don’t forward leaked data – especially not personal info. @insomniacgames deserves better. Let’s give them our love, respect, and sympathy 💔
— Toys For Bob (@ToysForBob) December 19, 2023
The website, which we will not be sharing for obvious reasons, contains videos and screenshots of the upcoming Wolverine title, as well as Insomniac’s roadmap to 2030, company contract records, and the personal information of staff, both past and present.
In correspondence with Cyber Daily, an anonymous spokesperson for Rhysida said that the outfit knew exactly who it was hacking and explained that the sole motivation was money – not clout. They then proceeded to shamelessly boast about just how ‘easy’ it was to gain access.
‘We were able to get the domain administrator within 20–25 minutes of hacking the network,’ they said.
While Sony was undoubtedly right not to give in to crooks, unfortunately the developers are once again left to bear the brunt for a lack of protection above their heads. This is becoming the case all too often and yet little has changed following several major incidents in recent years.
Just earlier this month, Rockstar Games developers were left devastated after the hugely anticipated launch trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI was leaked a day ahead of schedule. Following years of meticulous work, ultimately, their moment in the sun was stolen from them at the last minute.
I'm actually not going to watch this until I'm in the office with the people I made this with and who worked so fucking hard to make it happen.
— Angel Ortiz (@aortizelguero) December 4, 2023
