Technology

Insomniac hit by cyber attack, Marvel games like Wolverine and Spider-Man 3 leaked

Debodinna ChakrabortyDecember 20, 2023 | 13:37 IST

The hackers who broke into Insomniac, the makers of Marvel's Spider-Man, demanded $2 million (50 BTC) within seven days. When Sony didn't meet their demand, the hackers went ahead and released a mammoth amount of their confidential data, which includes major future games.

What

  • PlayStation Studios' game developer, Insomniac Games, experienced what could be considered one of the most significant hacking attacks.
  • Hackers breached the studio, leading to the release of extensive data that revealed the company's future plans.
  • Reportedly, the ransomware group Rhysida leaked a substantial 1.67 terabytes of internal data, comprising over 1.3 million files extracted from Insomniac, the studio owned by Sony, recognized for games like Marvel's Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.

  • According to Cyber Daily's report, the hackers demanded a $2 million ransom from Sony for the data, claiming responsibility for the recent attack. Following Sony's failure to meet their demands within a week, they proceeded to share the data online.

  • This cyberattack trend has affected various game studios like CD Projekt, Bandai Namco, and Riot Games. Lapsus$ also breached Grand Theft Auto VI, releasing its footage online.

  • Such security breaches are a cause for concern, as numerous developers have reported similar incidents.

Upcoming Sony games 

  • Rhysida leaked personal employee info, internal emails, and details about upcoming Insomniac games. 
  • This leak also includes footage, plot details, and game designs of Sony’s upcoming projects on social media.
  • The games leaked include Marvel's Venom in 2025, Marvel's Wolverine in 2026, Marvel's Spider-Man 3 in 2028, a new Ratchet & Clank in 2029, Marvel's X-Men in 2030, and an untitled new IP in 2031/2032. 
  • Keep in mind that, just like all the info from the data breach, these release plans might change.

Venom: Lethal Protector

  • The first game on the list is a Venom spin-off set to launch in 2025, acting as a companion game like Miles Morales. 
  • In this instalment, players will play as Venom, teaming up with other characters to confront Carnage and clear up speculation about a Spider-Man 2 expansion.

Wolverine Game

  • Insomniac's new Wolverine game, scheduled for a 2025 launch, has been widely seen on X. 
  • The leak reveals Wolverine's level design, character materials, internal company presentations about undisclosed games, screenshots of internal spreadsheets, and development and marketing budget details.
  • Wolverine is said to be the first in a trilogy of X-Men titles. The second and third games are expected to be released by the end of 2029 and 2033, respectively.

Spider-Man 3 

  • The leak suggests Sony is working on a third Spider-Man game, aiming for a release around late 2028. 
  • There's also talk of the game possibly being in two parts.

X-Men projects

  • In 2030, a new X-Men game is on the horizon, just four years after the studio's Wolverine game release.
  • The X-Men licence details are clear: each game gets a $120 million development budget, with $30 million set aside for marketing.
  • All X-Men games aim to launch by 2035, available on PlayStation consoles and PC.
Last updated: December 20, 2023 | 13:37
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