Last month, hackers managed to steal a ton of confidential data fromEA, including, but not limited to,the source code forFIFA 21and even the source code and tools for the publisher’s Frostbite game engine. At the time, the hackers had intended to sell the data online, but they have since decided to instead upload a portion of it online.
According to Motherboard, a 1.3GB cache of data has been shared, which includes references to internal tools andEA’s Origin store. An accompanying message from the hackers reads that it did contact EA for a ransom a few weeks prior, but EA didn’t respond, which prompted them to share some of the stolen data. They threaten to continue doing so until EA pays them.
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EA is fully aware of threats, having issued a statement to Motherboard earlier this week that it was analyzing the files. It reiterates that no private data belonging to its customers was affected by the hack and that it’s continuing to work alongside federal law enforcement. It also states that it has improved its security since the incident.
While the hackers claim to have sent ransom demands to EA, the company previously told Motherboard that it hadn’t received any, although that has since changed. The hackers had also apparently asked Motherboard to deliver a message to EA on their behalf. Unsurprisingly, Motherboard refused.
EA hasn’t been the only company to suffer from a hack of this magnitude. Earlier this year,CD Projekt Redfaced something similar, with a hacker stealing the source code for multiple games, includingCyberpunk 2077. Just like EA, it also received a ransom notice but publicly stated that it would not negotiate with the hacker.
While this situation wouldn’t be ideal at any time for EA, the timing is especially inconvenient as it is spending this month to drum up excitement for the upcoming EA Play Live presentation. It’s scheduled to take place at the end of July, but it has so far been holding one-off presentations to focus on certain titles. For instance, one dedicated to EA Sports games is taking place in a few days and will most likely feature the newly announcedFIFA 22.
As for what new announcements are in store for fans during EA Play Live itself, EA has at least confirmed what won’t be shown. Some people theorized that a sequel toStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderwould be announced, but EA has said thatno newStar Warsgameswill be revealed until next year.
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