Ubisoft Shuts Down Rainbow Six Siege Servers After Major Hack

Yesterday, Ubisoft confirmed a major security incident involving the popular tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege. The company announced it had proactively shut down the game's servers and marketplace to address the compromise. The breach allowed unauthorized access to critical game systems, resulting in widespread account manipulation and the distribution of massive amounts of virtual currency.

The attackers utilized their access to alter the game environment significantly. They unlocked all available in-game items and granted every player 2 billion R6 Credits and Renown. The monetary value of this currency distribution is estimated at over $13 million. Ubisoft has clarified that no disciplinary action will be taken against players who utilize these funds while the technical team works on a resolution.

The scope of the compromise extended deeply into the administrative functions of Rainbow Six Siege. According to reports, the hackers managed to seize control over a significant portion of the game's backend systems. This level of access is rare and allowed the perpetrators to exercise functions typically reserved for high-level game administrators.

The specific capabilities exploited by the attackers included:

• Manipulating user account statuses, specifically the ability to ban and unban users arbitrarily.
• Sending custom messages directly to the game's ban ticker, a feature usually used for official announcements.
• Unlocking every available item within the game's inventory system.
• Distributing 2 billion units of virtual currency to the player base.

In response to these events, Ubisoft took the drastic step of taking the game offline. This move was necessary to prevent further unauthorized changes and to secure the infrastructure before bringing the servers back online.

The financial repercussions of the security breach are significant due to the volume of virtual currency generated by the hackers. Ubisoft operates Rainbow Six Siege with a microtransaction economy where players purchase R6 Credits to unlock cosmetic items and battle passes.

The attackers granted every player 2 billion R6 Credits. To contextualize this figure, Ubisoft sells 15,000 R6 Credits for $99.99 in their official store. Based on this pricing structure, the total cash value of the 2 billion credits distributed amounts to approximately $13.33 million.

While the credits were distributed to accounts, the actual financial loss to the company depends on how many players convert these free credits into real-world purchases they would have otherwise made. The incident represents a massive injection of value into the game's economy that bypassed the standard revenue stream.

Following the confirmation of the breach, Ubisoft moved quickly to stabilize the situation. The immediate shutdown of servers and the marketplace was the primary containment measure. The company is currently working to resolve the issue and secure the game against future intrusions.

Regarding the aftermath for the player community, Ubisoft made a specific announcement concerning the spent currency. The company stated clearly that nobody would be punished for spending any of the hacked credits. This assurance is likely intended to prevent player anxiety regarding account rollbacks or bans, which are common concerns following economy-breaking glitches in online games.

Players are currently awaiting the restoration of services. Once the servers are brought back online, it is expected that the company will implement measures to normalize the game economy, though specific details on how the 2 billion credits per player will be handled long-term have not been released.

What happened to Rainbow Six Siege?
Rainbow Six Siege was compromised by hackers who gained administrative access to the game's systems. This led to the shutdown of servers and the marketplace while the issue is being fixed.

What did the hackers do?
The hackers unlocked all in-game items, gained the ability to ban and unban users, and granted every player 2 billion R6 Credits and Renown.

Will players be banned for the free currency?
No. Ubisoft has confirmed that players will not be punished for spending the credits they received during the hack.