Summary
Sony’sInsomniac Gamesmight be among the latest victims of a ransomware attack. The studio has seen through a successful few months following thesuccess ofMarvel’s Spider-Man2 launchand the anticipation of its Wolverine game. Amid the growing popularity, it appears that Insomniac may have attracted some unwanted attention in the form of a cyberattack.
Attackers have routinely targeted high-profile video game studios over the years for numerous reasons. Gaming companies of different scales spanning from Bandai Namco and CD Projekt Red toRiot Games have been impacted by cyber attacksduring the past year alone. Even a studio like Rockstar wasn’t immune from getting hacked when the attacker released GTA 6 content, a year before the debut trailer was even released. It’s an indication that cybercriminals have seemingly grown more ambitious in targeting the video game industry and unfortunately for Insomniac Games, they appear to be the latest addition to that list.
According to astory by cyberdaily, Insomniac Games has reportedly been hit by the Rhysida ransomware. The group has posted limited data to back up its claims, which includes internal emails, confidentially signed documents, passport information of employees, and personal documents ofSpider-Manvoice actor Yuri Lowenthal. The leak also seems to include details regarding the upcoming Wolverine game along with character art of Marvel characters who may show up in the title.
The Rhysida group states thatInsomniac Gameshas seven days to pay an undisclosed amount before the full dataset is made public. Currently, the group is running a public auction of the data at a starting price of 50 bitcoins, roughly a little over $2 million. “Open your wallets and be ready to buy exclusive data. We sell only to one hand, no reselling, you will be the only owner!” the group further states on the website. At the time of publish, neither Sony nor Insomniac Games have officially commented on the incident.
News of the attack comes barely two months since the studio released the much-anticipatedSpider-Man2 game. The title has been the studio’s most successful release, amassing over 5 million copies sold within weeks of its launch. With the excitement now shifting towards a mature-toned Wolverine title, a premature reveal of the game’s details could prove detrimental to Insomniac’s plans. This is particularly challenging in a scenario whereleaks aroundMarvel’s Wolverinegameare already surfacing on the internet. If the 2022 GTA 6 leak is any indication, it’s that Insomniac will likely want to nip this in the bud before the Rhysida group makes its move.
