Hackers steal source code from game publisher Electronic Arts

EA publishes games including the Battlefield, FIFA, Sims and Madden series

Gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) has fallen victim to a cyber attack from an unidentified group of hackers, who were able to steal some of the source code used in EA's games.

EA is known for publishing popular games like The Sims, FIFA, and Madden NFL.

EA confirmed the data breach to news outlet Motherboard, stating that a "limited amount" of data was stolen in the incident.

"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 told the news outlet.

The spokesperson added that the hackers hadn't accessed any player data, and there was no evidence to suggest any risk to player privacy.

The security incident is not expected to have any impact on EA's games or business.

"We are actively working with law enforcement officials and other experts as part of this ongoing criminal investigation," the representative stated, adding that it was not a ransomware attack.

A person with access to underground hacking forums sent Vice screenshots of the hackers' messages, claiming they had obtained the source code for FIFA 21 and its matchmaking server, as well as the code and tools for the Frostbite engine. Frostbite powers several EA games, including Battlefield.

In all, the hackers claim they have 780GB of data from EA, which they are advertising for sale in various forums.

"You have full capability of exploiting on all EA services," the hackers said.

The EA attack is the latest in the series of a high-profile video game source code leaks.

Nintendo, Ubisoft and Valve are among suffered similar data breaches last year.

Earlier this year, Cyberpunk 2077 creator CD Projekt Red was the victim of a ransomware attack that also led to source code theft.

The Polish developer said that an unidentified actor was able to compromise some of its internal systems and access sensitive data. The hackers encrypted some network drives and left a ransom note. They also threatened to sell or leak the stolen code, along with internal accounting, HR, and legal documents, if the company failed to pay.