There is no denying that the release of Cyberpunk 2077 was rather disastrous, especially for CD Projekt Red. The game is not without its defenders, but its horrendously poor performance when it initially launched, especially on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, combined with myriad other issues and reports into the studio itself saw what was once one of the most anticipated games of 2020 into an easy source of mockery and anger.
CD Projekt Red continues to face repercussions for Cyberpunk 2077's release, with its stock sharply dropping and it's even facing lawsuits from its own investors. But just when it looked like things couldn't get worse, the studio has now become the victim of a cyber attack.
The studio admitted this over Twitter, revealing that an unidentified individual gained access to its internal network and stole data, leaving behind a ransom note. CD Projekt Red has also shared the note, with the hacker stating that they had taken the source codes for Cyberpunk 2077, Gwent, The Witcher 3, and the unreleased version of Witcher 3. They also encrypted the servers, but CD Projekt Red assures that its backups are intact and has already begun restoring the data.
As for the ransom note, the hacker writes that they be contacted with 48 hours to discuss their demands. If an agreement isn't met, then the hacker will sell or leak the the source codes online and stolen documents will be sent to their games journalism contacts. As several games journalists online have already pointed out, no professional would ever receive stolen information and share it themselves, which suggest that the hacker is either bluffing or their 'contacts' are equally as unscrupulous.
CD Projekt Red has already chosen not to meet whatever the hacker's demands are, even if it means potentially allowing compromised data to be released. As such, it is approaching any parties that may have been affected by the breach, though apparently personal data for players and users of its services haven't been affected.
While there are those that believe CD Projekt Red deserves this over the recent Cyberpunk 2077 debacle, even those who have criticized it in the past have expressed sympathy, saying that hacking and stealing from the company isn't justifiable. Some of the responses on Twitter even mock the hacker's ransom note, specifically their use of the phrase 'epically pwned,' which does make them come across as some teenager who thinks they're the cool hacker in an action movie.
This is the third instance in the last few months of a major game studio being a victim of hacking. Koei Tecmo was forced to shut down its website when hackers targeted its forums and Capcom saw its entire release schedule for the next few years leaked online, as well as many former and current employees personal data being compromised.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One. It is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this year.
