Bandai Namco, publisher for games like Pac-Man, the Tales of series, and Elden Ring has confirmed its been hacked by a ransomware group called ALPHV. The confirmation follows a report earlier this week from VCG that a group had successfully infiltrated Bandai Namco based on a post from vx-underground.
ALPHV ransomware group (alternatively referred to as BlackCat ransomware group) claims to have ransomed Bandai Namco.
Bandai Namco is an international video game publisher. Bandai Namco video game franchises include Ace Combat, Dark Souls, Dragon Ball*, Soulcaliber, and more. pic.twitter.com/hxZ6N2kSxl
— vx-underground (@vxunderground) July 11, 2022
“On July 3, 2022, Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. confirmed that it experienced an unauthorized access by third party to the internal systems of several Group companies in Asian regions (excluding Japan),” Bandai Namco said today in a statement to VCG. “After we confirmed the unauthorized access, we have taken measures such as blocking access to the servers to prevent the damage from spreading.”
Bandai Namco said there is also a chance “that customer information related to the Toys and Hobby Business in Asian regions (excluding Japan) was included in the servers and PCs and we are currently identifying the status about existence of leakage, scope of the damage, and investigating the cause.”
They also offered their sincerest apologies. The company said they’re also looking into strengthening its security and taking measures to prevent it happening again in the future.
Ransomware is a type of malware meant to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. The hackers then demand money in exchange for their files.
It’s not the first time a major publisher has been victim to a cyber attack. In late 2020, Capcom was hit by a cyber attack. Eventually, the creator of the Resident Evil series even provided a detailed diagram with how the hackers were able to carry out their attack.
Then, in 2021, CD Projekt Red suffered their own cyber attack. This attack saw the leak of the source code for Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3. These attacks reflect the high-profile nature of game companies, which has made them a magnet for hackers. Bandai Namco isn't the first publisher to fall victim to such an attack, and it will be far from the last.
Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.