Warhorse Studios, the development team behind the acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance series and an upcoming Lord of the Rings RPG, has announced it is the target of a "serious" cyberattack. The studio confirmed the incident on its official website, stating that its systems and data have been accessed by unauthorized parties.
In response, Warhorse Studios is collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to secure its infrastructure, investigate the full scope of the breach, and determine its impact. The company has also alerted authorities in an effort to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack. Martin Frývaldský, CEO of Warhorse Studios, emphasized that protecting employees, partners, and the community is the immediate priority, and that the company is dedicating necessary resources to address the situation. Further updates will be provided as information becomes available and can be responsibly disclosed.
Details regarding the extent of the breach remain unclear, as Warhorse Studios has stated it will not be providing further comment or conducting interviews at this time. The studio is actively working on a Lord of the Rings role-playing game set in an open-world Middle-earth, as well as a new entry in the Kingdom Come series, which is expected to be either Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3 or a related spin-off.
This incident follows a period of success for the studio, with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launching last year to positive critical and commercial reception. IGN awarded the game a 9/10, praising its refined combat and compelling narrative.
Warhorse Studios has also faced recent scrutiny regarding its use of generative AI in game development. Separately, Daniel Vávra, the original director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, stepped down from his development role in February to pursue the creation of a Kingdom Come: Deliverance movie.
This attack on Warhorse Studios occurs amidst a broader trend of cybersecurity incidents affecting the gaming industry. Japanese developer Capcom recently experienced a data breach that compromised over 11 million customer accounts, and the online retailer Playasia was temporarily taken offline due to relentless attacks. Security experts have identified the current period as "Black October" due to increased internet security disruptions, though no direct link has been confirmed between these events and the Warhorse Studios incident.