FromSoftware’s owner, Kadokawa, recently suffered a massive hack. The ransomware attack has disrupted multiple of the company’s subsidiaries and claims to have downloaded 1.5 terabytes of data.
Did FromSoftware have confidential information stolen in the hack?
It’s unclear to what degree FromSoftware was directly affected by the hack. The Black Suit Ransomware group claims to have accessed Kadokawa’s entire network. However, its primary target appears to have been the Japanese video-sharing service Niconico, which is down until June 8, with partial disruptions to Kadokawa’s book distribution. Therefore, it’s possible that the Elden Ring developer got away unscathed.
Kadokawa issued a statement addressing the attack but did not mention whether FromSoftware was affected by the hack. It did, however, confirm that the breach occurred on June 8. The stolen data reportedly includes both employee and customer information. Other stolen data reportedly includes project information, business plans, financial records, contracts, and legal documents.
While stolen user data is concerning, the company assured customers that their credit card information is secure. “Kadokawa does not retain any credit card information of the Group’s customers, including Niconico service users, in its system, and therefore, no credit card information will have been leaked,” it said. The company also says it is working with “external professional organizations” to investigate possible leaks. It expects the investigation to produce results in July and will make additional statements at that time.
As for the ransom, FromSoftware’s parent company has until July 1 to meet the hacker group’s demands. However, it’s unclear if Kadokawa will comply, given the possibility that the hackers might release the information regardless.
