In a shocking turn of events during the North American Apex Legends Global Series finals, the competition was abruptly halted due to a hacker-orchestrated security breach. This disruption, which saw two players granted cheat-based abilities, led Electronic Arts (EA) and Respawn Entertainment to abandon the finals, citing compromised competitive integrity.
Hacker’s confession
The individual behind the breach, Destroyer2009, recently confessed to TechCrunch that he orchestrated the hacks “just for fun.” Despite causing significant disruption to the esports event, Destroyer2009 claimed his actions aimed to highlight vulnerabilities within Apex Legends, intending to draw attention to these issues on a larger scale.
Destroyer2009 expressed frustration over the lack of rewards offered by Respawn and EA to third parties who discover security flaws. Consequently, he opted not to report the vulnerability, instead choosing to exploit it during the finals. While he declined to disclose the specifics of his method, Destroyer2009 asserted that the hacks were executed solely within the Apex Legends process, with no external interference or compromise of the players’ computers.
Following the incident, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), the software utilized to maintain fair play in Apex Legends, came under scrutiny. Speculation arose regarding a potential vulnerability within EAC that facilitated the breach. However, EAC swiftly addressed these concerns, asserting confidence in the integrity of their system and denying any remote code execution vulnerability.
Respawn’s response
In response to the breach, Respawn Entertainment confirmed the occurrence of the hacks during the tournament. The studio swiftly implemented the “first of a layered series of updates” aimed at bolstering player security and preventing similar incidents in the future.
The disruption of the Apex Legends Global Series finals due to a hacker’s interference has underscored the importance of cybersecurity in esports. While Destroyer2009 claimed his actions were intended to shed light on vulnerabilities within the game, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential ramifications of such breaches on the competitive integrity of esports events. As developers continue to fortify their systems against malicious actors, the esports community remains vigilant in safeguarding the fairness and integrity of competitive gaming.
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