GSC Game World Defies Russian Hackers’ Ultimatum, Refuses to Retreat
GSC Game World, a Ukranian video game developer, has stood firm against an ultimatum delivered by Russian hackers ahead of the release of their latest game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The unknown attackers threatened to leak materials from the game online, but GSC Game World urged players to resist viewing any such illicit releases.
The studio admitted that a leak had indeed taken place due to a hacking breach of one of its employees’ accounts. The group of hackers, supposedly from Russia, presented the ultimatum of a complete localization of the game into Russian and a change in the company’s attitude towards players from Russia.
Despite the threats, GSC Game World refused to change its position with regards to the Russian audience, stating that they do not plan to sell their products to users from Russia, as previously declared. Despite the continued threats, the company remains steadfast in its decision and has called for players not to engage with any leaked information to retain the quality of the gaming experience.
In a post on March 11th within the Vestnik group on the VKontakte social network, the hackers announced the existence of “dozens of gigabytes” of materials for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. They also included several screenshots as evidence. The authors of the post threatened to release further materials if GSC Game World does not comply by March 15th. The demands within the post include that the company rethinks its attitude towards players in Belarus and Russia and restores the Russian localization of the game.
This situation highlights the need for vigilant cybersecurity, particularly for businesses operating in the gaming industry. It also serves as a reminder for players to respect the creative process by avoiding leaked materials and supporting developers who uphold their principles.
VKontakte is a social network where the hackers published the post threatening the leak of materials.