'The Witcher 3' developer the victim of a data breach, ransom demanded
CD Projekt Red, the developer behind the Witcher series, has admitted to being the victim of a data breach.
One or more unidentified hackers obtained files relating to -- potentially among other things -- the upcoming, largely mysterious game, Cyberpunk 2077. The perpetrators then reached out to CDPR to demand a ransom, under the threat of releasing the stolen data publicly.
Rather than comply, the studio stepped forward with the news on Twitter, releasing the following message:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The CDPR forums are also down at the time of this writing, for "scheduled maintenance" according to the temporary landing page that appears in its place. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the schedule in question was updated earlier today.
Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced in 2013. It is believed to be CDPR's next big release, though -- with the exception of the occasional tease or interview snippet -- the studio has been largely silent about the project.
We know it's based on Cyberpunk 2020, and pen and paper role-playing game. Aaaaand that's pretty much it. The way CDPR has discussed it -- vaguely -- in the past suggests something more ambitious yet in a similar vein as The Witcher 3.
The award-winning open world role-playing game based on the works of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The game was widely praised for its strong writing, tuned gameplay, and eye-searing visuals, garnering multiple "Game of the Year" awards in 2015.
In many fans minds, Cyberpunk would be just fine if it adopted the basic framework of CDPR's Witcher games -- particularly the latest -- but against the backdrop of a sci-fi setting.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the studio has squared off against hackers. Midway through 2014 -- just under a year before The Witcher 3 launched -- stolen files surfaced containing spoilers about various facets of the game, including the ending.
If any ransom demands were made at the time, they were never shared publicly. But CDPR acknowledged the data breach and -- much like it has now -- advised against looking at the contents of the files.
This latest data theft comes just a few days before the start of E3, gaming's annual trade show/circus and typically the site of many of the year's biggest reveals. There hadn't been any indication in the run-up to the show that a closer look at Cyberpunk would be coming, and that's still the case.
We reached out to the studio to see if it had any additional comment or details to share regarding the data theft. For now, at least, the tweet shared above is all the studio is willing to say.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
