On Dec. 17, Insomniac Games became the victim of a ransomware attack by a group known as Rhysida. The hackers demanded that the game developer pay $2 million within 7 days, or they would release private data to the public. Sony, who owns the studio, refused to meet the demands of the group.
When the deadline passed, Rhysida released 1.67 terabytes of data, consisting of over 1.3 million files. The leaked information included a variety of videos and images pertaining to the recently announced “Marvel’s Wolverine” game, as well as private information pertaining to employees, independent contractors, and even a contract between Marvel and Sony for future games. The Rhysida spokesperson claimed that money was the motive of the hack.
Video game leaks are not uncommon in today’s world; it seems like every day we hear about new leaks. However, this one stood out. With other leaks, they include screenshots, playtest footage, and similar files. This leak not only had the standard fare of footage and screenshots but also a large majority of sensitive documents such as HR documents, scanned passports, non-disclosures and more. It caused hundreds of employees to have private information made public.
Recently, Insomniac released a public statement. They seemed especially concerned with the development team and the toll the leaks had taken on them, stating “We’re both saddened and angered about the recent criminal cyberattack on our studio and the emotional toll it’s taken on our dev team. We have focused inwardly for the past several days to support each other.”
These leaks have caused the gaming community to rise up in support of Insomniac Games. The full extent of the damage caused by these leaks is yet to be realized, given their unprecedented scale. This leak was one of the biggest in the history of the gaming industry, and hopefully, that threshold will not be crossed in the future.
