Summary
Developers from throughout the gaming industry have been weighing in on the recent hack ofInsomniac Gamesand the subsequent leak of the company’s confidential information. In mid-December, it was rumored thatInsomniac had been the target of a ransomware attackby Rhysida, a group that is known to have hacked into hospitals and leaked private medical information. The group demanded a $2 million ransom from Insomniac, threatening to release a swathe of hacked data including game footage, emails, and employee details.
A week after the ransomware demand, on December 19, more than a terabyte of confidential data was shared online, revealing Insomniac’s internal development plans for the coming decade. Prominent among the leaked information was a list of thenext five games to be developed by Insomniac, along with their tentative release years. This was paired with the revelation that the company has been tapped by PlayStation to essentially be a Marvel game development studio until 2030.
Understandably, this massive leak has been a major focus on social media, with gamers chiming in with their opinions on the leaked data, gaming journalists wrestling with the ethics of reporting on the information, and game developers generally voicing their support ofInsomniacand disgust at the breach. Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind the award-winningAlan Wake 2, called the leak “disgraceful and shameful” and expressed sympathy for Insomniac’s staff. “They didn’t deserve this,” said the company on Twitter.
Many game developers have experienced leaks in the past and can therefore sympathize with the stress and dismay that the staff at Insomniac is likely currently experiencing. Just two weeks prior to the Insomniac leak, Rockstar had a similar breach when it’s long-awaited and hypedtrailer forGrand Theft Auto 6leaked online, forcing the studio to officially release it a day early. Dinga Bakaba, co-creative director at Arkane Lyon, shared that the “sheer terror” of a potential leak is something that many developers deal with. “This type of thing hurts,” he said.
After all the effort and dedication they have poured into their games, they didn’t deserve this.
One of the more devastating aspects of such leaks is that some people, who are perhaps unfamiliar with the game development process, judge the game in its unfinished state. This happened withGrand Theft Auto 6in September 2022, and it’s now happening with Insomniac. Not only was thecast of its upcomingWolverinegame leaked, but pre-alpha footage has appeared online as well. While some people have seen the potential in the two-minute clip, others have criticized the gameplay and graphics of a game that’s not even finished yet.
