Bandai Namco Confirms It’s Been Hacked but That Leaked 2023 Lineup Is Fake

The recent Bandai Namco hack has been confirmed by the publisher but the supposed 2023 lineup, featuring games like Armored Core and Tekken 8, that’s been circulated on sites like Reddit and ResetEra is fake. For those who aren’t in the loop, ALPHV ransomware group (also known as BlackCat) announced that it had successfully launched a ransomware attack on Bandai Namco Entertainment’s servers. Following a day or two of silence, the company said that it’s assessing the damage.

Legitimate leaks from Bandai Namco hack haven’t been made public

ALPHV ransomware group (alternatively referred to as BlackCat ransomware group) claims to have ransomed Bandai Namco.

Bandai Namco is an international video game publisher. Bandai Namco video game franchises include Ace Combat, Dark Souls, Dragon Ball*, Soulcaliber, and more. pic.twitter.com/hxZ6N2kSxl

— vx-underground (@vxunderground) July 11, 2022

The purpose of a ransomware attack, as the name suggests, is to demand ransom from the affected party. Given that this attack happened earlier this week, it wouldn’t make sense for the hackers to immediately make their findings public. Someone decided to put together their wish list and pass it off as a leak, which includes games like Tekken 8, new Armored Core game, Elden Ring DLC, Code Vein sequel, and more. So as much as we want the next Armored Core, don’t get your hopes up!

Bandai Namco provided the following statement to media:

After we confirmed the unauthorised access, we have taken measures such as blocking access to the servers to prevent the damage from spreading. In addition, there is a possibility that customer information related to the Toys and Hobby Business in Asian regions (excluding Japan) was included in the servers and PCs, and we are currently identifying the status about existence of leakage, scope of the damage, and investigating the cause. We will continue to investigate the cause of this incident and will disclose the investigation results as appropriate. We will also work with external organizations to strengthen security throughout the Group and take measures to prevent recurrence. We offer our sincerest apologies to everyone involved for any complications or concerns caused by this incident.

In other news, Horizon Forbidden West has already received its first GOTY award in July, and Sony itself seems to have leaked Dino Crisis and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny for PS Plus.