Epic Games reportedly hacked by ransomware group, Unreal Engine and Fortnite could be compromised

Brought to light by veteran Fortnite leaker/data-miner HYPEX, it would seem that Epic Games has reportedly been hacked. The ransomware group "Mogilevich", claims that they have obtained nearly 200GB worth of data from Epic Games' server. This includes sensitive information such as emails, passwords, source codes, payment details, full names, and more. This is what they had to say:

"We have quietly carried out an attack on Epic Games' servers. Data compromised: emails, passwords, full names, payment information, source code, and many other data included. Size: 189 GB."

Although this is alarming, as mentioned by veteran Fortnite leakers/data-miners HYPEX and ShiinaBR, this should be treated as a rumor for the time being. This is due to the fact that Epic Games is yet to confirm the report via any official social media channels or blog posts. Given the nature of such things, until an official statement has been released, there is no way to say for certain if this is true.

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Note: Epic Games has issued a statement which can be read towards the end of this article.

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What if the Epic Games was hacked - how will it affect Fortnite and Unreal Engine?

If the ransomware group did acquire nearly 200GB of data, the source code for a lot of things could be at risk; namely Fortnite and Unreal Engine. Given how massive the former is in the world of video games, having its source code leaked is not good by any means. Player data and payment details for millions could potentially be at risk. Not to mention the game itself.

Coming to the latter - Unreal Engine, it could spell disaster for developers and all video games created using the technology. Vulnerabilities in all UE games could be exploited to devastating effect. As such, developers will have to scramble to employ security measures.

Here is how the community reacted to this reported hack:

Although the community has a mixed reaction regarding the potential hack, if things are true, it could spell disaster for the launch of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2. Things could be pushed back until the ransomware group has been dealt with. That being said, Epic Games will likely update the community on the situation shortly.

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Update: Epic Games responds regarding the ransomware attack

Epic Games provided an update which stated the following:

"We are investigating but there is currently zero evidence that these claims are legitimate. Mogilievich has not contacted Epic or provided any proof of the veracity of these allegations. When we saw these allegations, which were a screenshot of a darkweb webpage in a Tweet from a third party, we began investigating within minutes and reached out to Mogilevich for proof. Mogilevich has not responded. The closest thing we have seen to a response is this Tweet, where they allegedly ask for $15k and “proof of funds” to hand over the purported data."

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Note: Epic Games will likely provide a final update once the investigation has been completed.