Hackers known as ShinyHunters have targeted Rockstar Games for the second time in three years, claiming to have accessed the company's servers through a third-party cloud provider. Reports of the breach emerged on Saturday, with the group threatening to release stolen data unless a ransom is paid. Rockstar, however, has minimized the incident, stating that only a limited amount of non-material information was compromised and asserting that it has no impact on the company or its players.
In a previous incident in 2023, an 18-year-old hacker named Arion Kurtaj was linked to a major breach that resulted in the release of numerous gameplay videos for the anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI. This earlier hack prompted Rockstar to prematurely unveil the game's trailer. Kurtaj was associated with a group known as Lapsus$, which conducted several high-profile hacks during 2022 and 2023.
Law enforcement agencies globally advise against paying ransoms, emphasizing that it does not guarantee the return or deletion of stolen data and may inadvertently support the cybercrime industry.