GTA maker Rockstar Games hit by ShinyHunters in second major cyber breach

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Rockstar Games, the developer behind the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto franchise, has been targeted by hackers for the second time in three years.

The breach was claimed by the prolific cybercriminal group ShinyHunters, which has threatened to leak stolen data unless a ransom is paid. Despite the threat, Rockstar has moved quickly to downplay the incident, insisting that the compromised information is “non-material” and poses no risk to the company or its millions of players.

The breach reportedly occurred through a third-party cloud provider rather than Rockstar’s internal infrastructure. In posts shared on Saturday, ShinyHunters claimed they had gained access to sensitive servers and would begin publishing the stolen material if their demands were ignored.

In a statement to gaming publication Kotaku, a Rockstar spokesperson confirmed the hack but stated: “We can confirm that a limited amount of company information was accessed in connection with a third-party data breach. This has no impact on our organisation or our players.”

Prolific teenage hackers

The group responsible, ShinyHunters, is a well-known collective of English-speaking cybercriminals, largely believed to be in their teens. They specialize in high-profile data theft and extortion, recently making headlines for a massive breach targeting the ticketing giant Ticketmaster.

While the group has not disclosed the technical methods used to infiltrate Rockstar’s cloud partner, they confirmed to the BBC that they intend to follow through with the leak, as the developer has refused to engage in ransom negotiations.

Global law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, consistently advise against paying ransoms. They argue that payment only fuels the criminal industry and offers no guarantee that the stolen data will be deleted.

This incident is an echo of the 2023 hack that nearly derailed the marketing campaign for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI. In that instance, 18-year-old Arion Kurtaj, a member of the Lapsus$ gang, leaked 90 clips of unfinished gameplay, forcing Rockstar to release the game’s official trailer ahead of schedule.

While the 2023 breach involved core source code and sensitive developmental footage, Rockstar’s current stance suggests security has held up better against this latest attempt. However, with ShinyHunters known for releasing massive databases, the gaming world remains on high alert for whatever information might emerge from the third-party leak in the coming days.

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