Bitcoin Ransom Threatens Spider-Man 2 Developer: Pay 50 BTC Or This Could Happen

Bitcoin has taken center stage in a concerning development involving video game developer Insomniac Games, recognized for its highly acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man series. 

Reports indicate that Insomniac Games has fallen victim to a hacking incident, with the hacking group Rhysida demanding a ransom of 50 Bitcoin (equivalent to approximately US$2 million). Rhysida has threatened to leak sensitive information about the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine game unless the payment is made within seven days.

Developer’s Stolen Data Goes On Sale For 50 Bitcoin

According to a CyberDaily report, Rhysida has already shared limited data to substantiate its claim of successfully infiltrating Insomniac Games’ systems. 

The leaked information includes an annotated screenshot from the Marvel’s Wolverine game, providing a glimpse into the title’s development progress. Additionally, character art associated with other Marvel characters, potentially hinting at their presence in the game, was also part of the compromised data.

Per the report, the leaked data includes passport scans reportedly belonging to Insomniac employees, including one individual laid off by the developer two months ago who is now employed at Disney. 

Furthermore, personal documents linked to Yuri Lowenthal, the esteemed voice actor who portrayed Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in the latest release of Marvel’s Spider-Man, were also exposed.

Among the compromised materials are internal emails and signed confidential documents, further emphasizing the breach’s gravity. Rhysida, leveraging the stolen data as leverage, has initiated an auction, inviting potential buyers to bid on the exclusive and unique information. 

The starting price for the auction is set at 50 BTC, with the promise that the buyer will be the sole owner of the acquired data.

Exclusive Data Auction Countdown

Rhysida, in a statement on its leak site, urged interested parties to take advantage of the limited time before the full data set is made public. The group emphasized the exclusivity and significance of the data, urging potential buyers to open their wallets and prepare to secure the coveted information. The cybercriminals stated:

With just 7 days on the clock, seize the opportunity to bid on exclusive, unique, and impressive data… Open your wallets and be ready to buy exclusive data. We sell only to one hand, no reselling, you will be the only owner. 

It is worth noting that Insomniac Games has yet to release an official statement regarding the cyber attack and the subsequent ransom demand.

As the deadline set by Rhysida looms, the gaming and Bitcoin community remains on edge, hoping for a swift resolution that safeguards the integrity of Marvel’s Wolverine game while holding the perpetrators accountable for their actions.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency in the market, is trading at $41,300. It has been experiencing a period of sideways price movement, accompanied by a 1.3% decline over the past 24 hours. This decrease adds to the cryptocurrency’s overall drop of 1.9% over the previous seven days.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com