Cyberpunk 2077, along with The Witcher 3 and the card game Gwent is undergoing a stressful phase, as their source codes have been hacked and are now anonymously being auctioned off online.
Last week came as a blindside as an anonymous group of hackers hacked the scandalous Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 main servers. Polish gaming company CD Projekt Red took to Twitter to release a report stating that an "unidentified actor" managed to breach the code and access encrypted data.
The hackers then progressed to leave behind a ransom note that was disclosed to the public by CD Projekt. Brimming to the end with exclamation marks and gamer-style trolls, the digital ransom note claimed source code and documents related to HR, accounting, and investor relations had been retrieved.
"If we do not come to an agreement, then your source codes will be sold or leaked online, and your documents will be sent to our contacts in gaming journalism." "You have 48 hours to contact us."
However, CD Projekt remained unphased at that time of crisis and vowed not to give in to the attackers' demands. They refused to negotiate despite knowing that their data is at grave risk of being publicized. They have already taken measures to counter this breach, having contacted the law enforcement and IT Forensic specialists to run thorough investigations.
In retaliation, the hackers followed through on their threats and began auctioning off the code online. The auction was discovered in a Russian hacking forum by "VX-Underground," a malware-tracking security researcher that reported live updates and provided links to the underground auctioning site on Twitter.
Accessing the forum required an initial fee of $100. The starting price for the stolen data started at $1,000,000 while stating that immediate ownership would be given to anyone willing to pay $7,000,000. With CD Projekts aware and hot on their tail, it is unlikely the auction proves to be successful.
Reusing the source code would immediately cause a flare in copyright claims, and the buyer could be in potential trouble. Additionally, this is not the first time that internal networks such as this have been accessed. Ubisoft's "Watch Dogs: Legion" also had its source code leaked in November 2020.
Gamers can remain assured that there is no evidence of a breach of their personal information, a bright spot for CD Projekt Red amidst the chaos. Who is behind the entire fiasco is still a mystery. Even speculation on the internet is steering towards a consensus: This was not your average gamer's work, but a planned breach by cybercriminals.
In recent gaming trends, Microsoft recently announced a shortage of the Xbox Series X until June.
