The Steam game People Playground, a physics simulator released in 2019, has been targeted by malicious mods on its Workshop page for the second time this year. Developer mestiez has described the latest attack as particularly severe, urging players who interacted with the game recently to perform full system wipes and run antivirus scans.
The game's Workshop was disabled due to a malicious mod that the developer stated was "especially bad." Players who engaged with the game on or shortly after September 21 were advised to delete all mods and refrain from opening the game until it was declared safe. The exact nature of the malware is still being investigated by the developer, but initial reports suggest it can hack computers, erase data, access Discord information, and self-publish harmful mods to spread further.
Mestiez initially clarified that the malware "DOES NOT steal your passwords, tokens, cookies, or other credentials" but later advised players to change passwords for important accounts as a precaution against potential session token compromise. The developer emphasized that while not a credential theft tool, the malware is "a catastrophic piece of malware nonetheless."
This incident follows a similar attack in February of this year, though the previous malware was reportedly less destructive, primarily affecting game files and mod lists. The developer has requested that players avoid speculation regarding the identity or motives of those responsible, stating, "This is entirely my responsibility, and we gain nothing from throwing around rumors or speculations."
Despite the developer's pleas, the incident has caused concern among the player base. Discussions on Steam reveal some players have stopped playing People Playground permanently due to the repeated security issues. Players have expressed dismay that such security breaches have occurred multiple times within a single year on the platform.