It seems like 2020 didn't end for CD Projekt Red, as fate keep dealing out tough cards for the embattled Polish video game publisher. Following the veritable bouquet of controversies that have been swirling around the company since the December launch of Cyberpunk 2077, yet another stroke of misfortune struck - a cyber attack compromised the CDPR network, allowing hackers to encrypt a number of devices while also stealing a mother lode of sensitive data and information.
The attack was announced on official CD Projekt Red social media feeds earlier today. The company gave a brief rundown of what had happened, what the damage is and how they intend to respond. The hackers also left a little (laughably worded) ransom note, describing what they claim to have stolen and what they believe the results of their stunt will be on the company's image, provided CDPR does not respond to negotiate.
Among the stolen documents is, allegedly, the full source code of Cyberpunk 2077, Gwent, and two versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt one of which is a never before seen, unreleased version. The attackers also claim to have stolen legal, financial and HR documents from the company, which they believe would reveal harmful information about CDPR if leaked. It has been made clear that CD Projekt Red does not intend to contact or negotiate with the attackers at all.
The company noted that encrypted devices have been restored using backups and the IT infrastructure has been secured. Additionally, authorities and forensics experts were also notified to help with the investigation. Hopefully those who committed this act will be swiftly found and brought to justice. Luckily, no personal user data was compromised during the attack, which could have made the fallout much more severe.
