Path of Exile 2 Developer Confirms Data Breach Affecting Player Accounts
Grinding Gear Games, the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has acknowledged a data breach that occurred during the week of January 6, 2025. The breach stemmed from a compromised developer account linked to Steam.
Compromised Information: A significant number of player accounts were affected. The compromised data includes email addresses, Steam IDs, IP addresses, and in some cases, shipping addresses and unlock codes. While passwords and password hashes were not directly accessible, the risk of credential stuffing (using leaked email/password combinations from other sites) exists. For a subset of accounts, transaction and private message histories were also viewed.
Breach Details: The breach originated from a developer's compromised admin account, granting unauthorized access to the customer support portal. The attacker exploited a now-patched bug to delete logs, hindering the investigation. The compromised Steam account, used for testing purposes, lacked financial or personal information but provided access to the developer's Path of Exile account, enabling the breach.
Developer Response: Grinding Gear Games immediately took action, locking the compromised account and initiating password resets for all admin accounts. A thorough investigation followed, leading to security improvements, including the removal of third-party account linking for staff accounts and significantly stricter IP restrictions.
Community Reaction: Player reactions have been varied. While some commend the developer's transparency, others advocate for the implementation of two-factor authentication (2FA) for enhanced account security. The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding account security and the desire for improvements in both security measures and in-game content, including endgame difficulty adjustments.
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