Insomniac Games, the acclaimed PlayStation studio behind hits like Marvel’s Spider-Man and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine, was the victim of a devastating ransomware attack this week. The hacker group Rhysida claims to have stolen over 1TB of sensitive internal data and is threatening to leak it if a $2 million ransom is not paid.
Hackers Breach Insomniac’s Security and Steal Massive Amounts of Data
On Monday December 19th, the hacker collective known as Rhysida announced on their dark web site that they had successfully breached Insomniac Games’ security. The group claims to have exfiltrated over 1.5 terabytes of confidential data from Insomniac’s internal network, including information on unreleased games, source code, and sensitive employee data.
Rhysida stated that they gained access by exploiting vulnerabilities in Insomniac’s VPN servers. From there, they were able to move laterally throughout the studio’s systems and steal troves of valuable intellectual property.
In their ransom note, Rhysida demanded $2 million paid in Bitcoin by December 31st and threatened to leak the stolen data in staggered releases until 2032 if their demands are not met.
Gigabytes of Data Quickly Leaks, Exposing Game Details and Employee Info
Shortly after making their ransom demands, Rhysida began leaking batches of the stolen data to prove the validity of their claims. By Tuesday December 20th, hundreds of gigabytes were made available through torrent trackers and file sharing sites.
These early leaks contained revealing information on Insomniac’s upcoming game Marvel’s Wolverine, including gameplay videos from an early development build, concept art, and details surrounding the game’s characters, setting, and story.
Additionally, the leaks included the personal information of many Insomniac employees, including their names, phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers, and copies of passports and driver’s licenses. This immediately raised concerns over potential identity theft targeted at Insomniac’s staff.
Industry Rallies Around Insomniac, Condemns Harmful Leaks
As news of the attack spread, Insomniac received an outpouring of support from across the gaming industry. On Friday December 23rd, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan issued a statement expressing sympathy for the studio and condemnation of the leaks:
“We unequivocally condemn the release of any game footage or material that was obtained illegally. We stand behind our partners at Insomniac Games and will support them fully.”
Other major publishers like Xbox, Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft and Take-Two also spoke out to stand with Insomniac. Many fans online likewise rallied to support the studio with messages of encouragement.
However, some fans did seek out and share details from the Wolverine leaks against Insomniac’s wishes. This promoted the studio to issue copyright takedown notices to sites hosting stolen content. Industry advocates argue that consumers should refrain from engaging with harmful leaks in order to respect developers’ rights and privacy.
Insomniac Vows to Continue Work Despite Hack’s “Extreme Distress”
Insomniac finally broke their silence on the hack four days after the attack. On Friday December 23rd, the studio released a statement to fans on Twitter, calling the experience “extremely distressing” but vowing to stay resilient:
“Our security, healthcare, and payroll departments work diligently to retain our employees’ most sensitive information, and we will be working with all appropriate authorities to ensure the security of that data. While this is an extremely distressing situation, we remain optimistic and focused on supporting our staff, and delivering great games for our fans.”
Despite the adversity, Insomniac reassured fans that work on upcoming titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine will continue as scheduled. However, experts say the studio faces major challenges from losing critical IP, rebuilding security infrastructure, and supporting affected employees.
The investigation into the attack is still ongoing. Sony is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to determine the full scope of the breach. In their statement, Insomniac said they will explore “all options” on how to respond to the hack but did not clarify if they intend to pay the ransom. Rhysida continues releasing small batches of stolen data.
Ongoing Fallout Expected Across the Industry
While the attack targeted Insomniac directly, experts say the gaming industry at large will feel ripple effects from such a devastating high-profile breach.
For one, the leaks offer competitors rare glimpses at Insomniac and Sony’s confidential strategies for upcoming games and hardware. Microsoft in particular may benefit from insider details given their rivalry with PlayStation. However, industry leaders maintain that protecting confidentiality and employee welfare should be the top priority amid the hack.
Additionally, security experts say publishers globally will now race to assess and reinforce their own network protections against sophisticated ransomware and cyber espionage operations. The scale of the Insomniac breach may prompt industry-wide changes to cyber resilience policies. Leadership at all major gaming firms will scrutinize their vulnerability management programs in light of emerging details on the precise techniques used against Insomniac’s systems.
Finally, the harm to developer staff may kick off new discussions on providing robust support resources for employees that become victims of cybercrime. As individuals now grapple with identity theft dangers, publishers will likely expand health benefits in the wake of the breach. More broadly, fans and the media are also being urged to consider the human impact from harmful leaks.
Insomniac now faces an arduous path forward to secure their systems, protect staff, and complete their ambitious game projects amidst crisis-level adversity. As the industry unites around the renowned studio, the true fallout from December’s history-making attack still lies ahead in 2023 and beyond.
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 19 | Rhysida hacking group announces breach of Insomniac Games systems, claims theft of 1.5TB data |
| December 20 | Stolen Insomniac data leaked online; includes Wolverine game info and employee personal info |
| December 23 | Sony, Xbox, other industry companies voice support for Insomniac |
| December 23 | Insomniac breaks silence, says hack response is “extremely distressing” but work continues |
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
