EA hacked game source code and tools stolen. Hackers have broken into the systems of Electronic Arts, one of the world’s biggest video game publishers, and stolen source code used in company games. Hackers have stolen valuable information from major game publisher Electronic Arts (EA), the company said.
The attackers claimed to have downloaded source code for games such as FIFA 21 and for the proprietary Frostbite game engine used as the base for many other high-profile games.
News of the hack was first reported by news site Vice, which said some 780GB of data was stolen.
The hackers claimed to offer “full capability of exploiting on all EA services.” They also claimed to have stolen software development tools for FIFA 21 and server code for player matchmaking in FIFA 22.
Brett Callow, the cybersecurity expert and a threat analyst at Emsisoft, said losing control over source code could be problematic for EA’s business. “Source code could, theoretically, be copied by other developers or used to create hacks for games,” he said.
The firm is one of the largest games companies in the world. It counts major series such as Battlefield, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, The Sims, and Titanfall among the titles it develops or publishes – as well as a vast array of annual sports games.
Hackers have stolen valuable information from major game publisher Electronic Arts (EA), the company said.
The attackers claimed to have downloaded source code for games such as FIFA 21 and for the proprietary Frostbite game engine used as the base for many other high-profile games.
News of the hack comes just a day after EA announced Battlefield 2042, a new entry in the franchise, due for release in October. Frostbite is the engine that powers the majority of EA games, including Battlefield and Madden NFL.
EA said no player data had been stolen in the breach.
“We are investigating a recent incident of intrusion into our network where a limited amount of game source code and related tools were stolen,” an EA spokesperson said in a statement.
“No player data was accessed, and we have no reason to believe there is any risk to player privacy,” she added.
The company said it had already improved security and stated that it did not expect “an impact on our games or our business”.
Law enforcement has also been contacted.
The “network intrusion” was not a ransomware attack and had happened recently, EA added.