Twitch Hack: Streamers’ Data Leaked in Devastating Blow
Published: Oct 6, 2021 - Last Updated: Oct 7, 2021
Earlier today, on the 6th of October, news began to break regarding a massive Twitch hack. It was reported that an enormous 128GB torrent had been published online, containing a vast amount of Twitch data. In one fell swoop, the Twitch source code, user payout information, and project plans were stolen from under the nose of the streaming giant. Allegedly, it seems that this Twitch hack was something of a vigilante action, with the hacker who obtained the data claiming it was to:
… foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space (because) their community is a disgusting, toxic cesspool.
This massive and aggressive leak has left Twitch reeling, as some of the most vital, confidential files were obtained and published. Currently, aside from confirming that the hack occurred, Twitch is yet to comment on the damage wrought by the breach. However, it’s certainly set to be something remarkable, as this year, Twitch has found itself in controversy after controversy.
And this is the latest issue in a long line of bad press for the platform.
Take From Them, Everything
It has been estimated (and to some extent, confirmed) that the breached data includes:
- Twitch’s entire source code and comment history logs going back several years.
- Confidential payout reports, revealing how much the highest-paid Twitch streamers have truly earned.
- AWS, config, and Dev tools and data, crucial to internal operations.
- Financial information relating to Twitch’s business operations.
- An unreleased, unheard-of project called Vapor, rumored to be an Amazon Game Studios competitor to Steam.
At present, it doesn’t seem as though personal information from the general user base has been leaked. Although, it’s excellent advice to ensure that two-factor authentication is turned on, and change your password as soon as you are able. There have been suggestions that encrypted password information has been leaked, but it is unconfirmed at the moment.
In the original post, released on the infamous forum, 4Chan, the hacker joked:
Jeff Bezos paid $970 million for this, we’re giving it away FOR FREE.
This is undoubtedly the biggest blow to Twitch’s operations to date and is easily the most devasting breach the platform has ever experienced. And, it seems that this particular Twitch hack isn’t the end of it, with the post bearing the title ‘part one’.
Potential Karma
There are many users claiming that this Twitch hack is the result of the many controversies circulating around the platform in recent months. It was just weeks ago that we reported on a mass exodus from Twitch, with many of the platform’s top streamers abandoning Twitch in favour of YouTube Gaming.
This plethora of bad news has stemmed from Twitch’s inability or reluctance to act following the abhorrent treatment of marginalised creators. There have been countless reports of hate raids, misrepresentation, and a total lack of response on Twitch’s part to actually address these concerns.
And now, with this Twitch hack, the platform might have just reached a breaking point. Ultimately, the community seems to be fighting back, aggressively.
