Highlights
- Insomniac Games has responded to the recent data breach, expressing sadness and gratitude for community support.
- The leaked information includes early development details about Marvel's Wolverine, which is still in early production.
- Ransomware attacks like this have a significant impact on personal security and workplace morale.
Insomniac Games has broken its silence following a very public data breach in which internal development plans and private information were leaked to the public. As a result of the malicious cyberattack, Insomniac's next five games leaked online, along with plenty of other information that the developer would have rather kept private. It's not just development roadmaps that were impacted, but personal employee information as well. Passport info, confidential documents, internal emails, and even personal docs from Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal were released as part of a ransomware attack.
One anticipated game in particular that seems to have been particularly impacted by the leak is Marvel's Wolverine. Despite being announced at a PlayStation Showcase in 2021, Insomniac has kept its cards close to the chest when it comes to the fan-favorite X-Men character. However, the cyberattack has resulted in a bevy of leaks including release date information and even the Wolverine game's cast.
Rumor: Insomniac Games May Be Working on Spider-Verse Content
Leaked documents suggest that Insomniac Games could be working on Spider-Verse content as part of its post-Spider-Man 2 plans.
Insomniac Games has been rather quiet in the days following the cyberattack, but the studio finally released a statement concerning the breach. Insomniac begins by thanking the community for its support during this time and goes on to share that the team is understandably saddened by recent events. The studio also spends some time specifically talking about Marvel's Wolverine. Insomniac states the information that was leaked about Marvel's Wolverine contained "early development details." Even now, Insomniac claims the game is still in "early production," and shares it will "no doubt greatly evolve throughout development, as do all [Insomniac's] plans."
The breach is unfortunate for a myriad of reasons. Of course, first and foremost, private personal information of employees and various partners was shared online. Additionally, Insomniac's internal development is now available for fans long before the studio had intended to share any details. Companies like Insomniac spend a lot of money on marketing to present their products in the best possible light to fans, and leaks like this not only take the developer's hard work out of context but also set up potentially unrealistic expectations. Despite following the industry closely, even diehard gamers are disconnected from the realities of game development.
Unfortunately, ransomware attacks like this have become all too common recently. Outside game developers responded to the Insomniac hack with sympathy and compassion, as industry professionals know just how difficult a cyberattack like this can be for a studio. These sorts of breaches affect not only personal security but workplace morale.
Fortunately, outside the recent attack, Insomniac has been on quite a roll lately. Spider-Man 2 was one of 2023's biggest releases. The studio's last handful of games, from Spider-Man: Miles Morales to Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, have been widely praised by both fans and critics. And despite any recent leaks, Marvel's Wolverine remains one of the most anticipated games on the horizon.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
The sequel to 2018's Spider-Man and its Miles Morales spin-off, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a PS5 console exclusive. Insomniac's open-world game features Peter Parker and Miles Morales as dual protagonists, with the two heroes going up against the likes of Kraven, Venom, and Lizard.
- Platform(s)
- PS5
- Released
- October 20, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
