Creator payouts, proprietary SDKs, internal security tools and more have been obtained from a hack on Twitch and subsequently leaked by the anonymous culprit early this morning.
VGC, which has since verified the initial 4chan leak, reported the hacker posted a 125GB file to the latter website via torrent, with the stated aim to “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space.” They claim this is just part one. Several outlets have independently verified the torrent is publicly accessible, and VGC claims anonymous sources at Twitch have confirmed the company is aware of the breach and that it is legitimate. Twitch has not yet responded publicly to the press or released a statement on the breach.
The repercussions for the Amazon-owned platform will be long-lasting. “Jeff Bezos paid $970 million for this, we’re giving it away FOR FREE,” the hacker wrote. The leak reportedly contains a three-year record of creator payouts. Given profit cuts have been a growing area of discontentment among creators on the platform in recent months, the data could lead to a reckoning with the company’s opaque monetization model. It’s known that large streamers receive different cuts on subscriptions and the platform’s proprietary currency, Bits, but not how stark the disparity is.
The leak also contains “an unreleased Steam competitor from Amazon Game Studios.” The previously unconfirmed project, code-named Vapor, is making headlines alone. What exactly of the storefront is on the leak has not yet been scrutinized. Naturally, it’s strongly recommended that you change your Twitch password and activate two-factor authentication.
WGTC has contacted Twitch for comment, though we did not receive a response by publication.
Published: Oct 6, 2021 10:08 am