[Updated] Fractured Online Suffers Hack with All Player Cities Destroyed - Dynamight Studios Responds

mmorpg.com:

[Update: 11/19/2023 6:00pm EST]

Fractured Online has provided an update on their Discord, stating that the game will come back online tomorrow at 6AM EST. They have stated they will update everyone with a full account of how the attack happened, and their resolution. The also thanked all of their loyal players for sticking it out and supporting the team while they worked on the issue.  

[Original Article Follows]

The indie MMO Fractured Online recently made a lot of headway with their relaunch, but earlier today the team at Dynamight Studios found themselves at the receiving end of a severe security breach. The game experienced a serious attack when a hacker infiltrated an admin account and deleted all player cities. This attack was particularly notable because it was executed through a backend hack, rather than a direct compromise of the admin's personal data.

While the studio is still reeling from the hack, the team has been adamant to return the game to its pre-hack state. The issue certainly highlights the persistent challenges indie projects like Fractured Online face as they attempt to safeguard their platforms against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The hacker's motivations remain unclear, with CEO Jacopo stating that the team has “no idea what could drive a person to do something like this” but the impact of their actions was undeniable. Dynamight Studios responded by suspending logins and initiating an urgent investigation to understand the breach method and prevent future incidents.

This security breach is a significant setback for Fractured Online, a game that has already endured its share of challenges. In 2022, the game was removed from platforms following a split with its former publisher, Gamigo,