Watch Dogs: Legion source code leaked by hackers, reports claim

Hackers have leaked the source code for Watch Dogs: Legion, several reports claim, though it's not yet clear what is actually out there. A ransomware group claimed last month that they'd breached both Ubisoft and Crytek's security, and threatened to leak Legion's source. "Guys, if the goal of the last mission in your game about hackers was the hack of your company, we've done it," the group had taunted. Ubisoft tell us they're aware of the claims and are investigating.

In October, ZDNet reported that a ransomware gang known as Egregor claimed to have acquired the source code for Legion, as well as resources and documents from Crytek. Ransomware attacks often encrypt data and systems they find, threatening to cut off access if they're not paid to release their hold. This group, Egregor claimed they had encrypted what they found at Crytek, though initially said they had neither locked up Ubisoft's data nor officially requested a ransom.

Egregor told ZDNet, "In case Ubisoft will not contact us we will begin posting the source code of upcoming Watch Dogs and their engine." After that, they did leak some apparent internal Crytek documents and looks at several Ubifiles. A website which seems to have been been Egregor's, no longer online, mocked Ubisoft's security:

"This developer [is] nominated not just for Hole of the Month. But also for the Clown of the Month Award.

"We found source codes in free access in the main network. Passwords in the doc files without any protection, all the employees and developers data and personal information, contract, game engines and a lot of more.

"Guys, if the goal of the last mission in your game about hackers was the hack of your company, we've done it. There's our prize?"

Various reports from folks around grubby corners of the Internet now say yeah, they did go ahead and leak 558GB of Legion source code on filesharing sites. I haven't yet seen anyone prove it's real, mind. If this is real, those files are hot property and I assume Ubisoft will be flexing a lot of legal muscle to try to plug leaks.

A leak of such magnitude - and especially the week after a game launch - would be remarkable. So much time and money have gone into developing the technology. While rival developers wouldn't dare go anywhere near such forbidden data, it could be irresistible to daredevil enthusiasts.

"We are aware of the group's claim and are currently investigating a potential data security incident," Ubisoft told us in a statement.