Developer of Spider-Man 2 Faces Bitcoin Ransom Threat: Demands 50 BTC Payment

Bitcoin has emerged as a central focus in a worrisome development surrounding Insomniac Games, a renowned video game developer known for its critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man series.

Recent reports suggest that Insomniac Games has become a target of a malicious hacking incident. The perpetrators, known as Rhysida, have seized control and are now demanding a hefty ransom of 50 Bitcoin, which is approximately equivalent to US$2 million. This distressing development has sent shockwaves across the gaming community, highlighting the ever-growing menace of cybercrime.

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

Rhysida has provided only a small amount of data to support its assertion that it has successfully breached the systems of Insomniac Games, as stated in the CyberDaily report.

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.

As per the report, the data that has been leaked includes passport scans, which are claimed to belong to employees of Insomniac Games. This includes one individual who was recently laid off by the developer and is currently working at Disney.

In addition, personal documents associated with Yuri Lowenthal, the renowned voice actor who portrayed Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in the recent Marvel's Spider-Man release, were also made public.

The compromised materials include internal emails and confidential documents with signatures, highlighting the serious nature of the breach. Rhysida is utilizing the stolen data as leverage and has started an auction, inviting potential buyers to bid on the exclusive and one-of-a-kind 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.

Countdown

According to Rhysida, they are encouraging interested parties to make use of the limited time available before the complete data set is officially released to the public.

"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.

With the deadline imposed by Rhysida approaching, both the gaming and Bitcoin communities are anxiously awaiting a prompt resolution that not only ensures the integrity of Marvel's Wolverine game but also ensures that those responsible for the leak are held accountable for their actions.

As of the current moment, Bitcoin (BTC), the leading cryptocurrency in the market, is being traded at a price of $41,300. It has been going through a phase of horizontal price movement, along with a 1.3% decrease in value over the past 24 hours. This decrease adds to the cryptocurrency's overall drop of 1.9% over the previous seven days.