Highlights
- Insomniac Games was targeted by a ransomware attack and had confidential data leaked, including internal development plans and details of upcoming games.
- Game developers have expressed their support for Insomniac and condemned the breach, sympathizing with the stress and dismay caused by leaks.
- Some people are judging and criticizing the leaked footage of Insomniac's upcoming Wolverine game without considering that it is still in an unfinished state.
Developers from throughout the gaming industry have been weighing in on the recent hack of Insomniac Games and the subsequent leak of the company's confidential information. In mid-December, it was rumored that Insomniac had been the target of a ransomware attack by 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 the next 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.
Insomniac Leak Suggests Ratchet And Clank Rift Apart Was A Financial Flop [UPDATE]
According to the recent Insomniac ransomware attack, 2021's acclaimed Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart actually failed to break even financially.
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 of Insomniac and disgust at the breach. Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind the award-winning Alan 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 people have been trying to steer clear of any of the leaked data, perhaps out of respect for Insomniac or just to avoid being spoiled. Neil Druckmann, creative head at Naughty Dog, seemed to share this sentiment in his Twitter post, pointing out that he will wait to learn about the games until Insomniac is ready to share. The director of 2018’s groundbreaking God of War, Cory Barlog, simply tweeted a heart and a fist of solidarity.
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 hyped trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 leaked 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 with Grand Theft Auto 6 in September 2022, and it’s now happening with Insomniac. Not only was the cast of its upcoming Wolverine game 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.
