PoE 2 Confirms Data Breach Impact

Path of Exile 2 Developer Acknowledges Data Breach from Compromised Employee Account

Grinding Gear Games, the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has confirmed a data breach that occurred the week of January 6, 2025. The breach stemmed from a compromised developer account linked to Steam. A significant number of player accounts were affected, resulting in the exposure of sensitive information.

Compromised Data: The breach exposed email addresses, Steam IDs, IP addresses, shipping addresses, and unlock codes. While passwords and password hashes were not directly accessible, the risk of password reuse across platforms remains a concern. In some cases, transaction and private message histories were also viewed.

Root Cause and Mitigation: The breach originated from an employee's admin account, granting unauthorized access to the developer portal. The compromised Steam account, used for testing purposes, lacked financial or personal data, but its connection to the Path of Exile account facilitated access to player information. Grinding Gear Games immediately responded by securing the compromised account, implementing mandatory password resets for all admin accounts, and patching a bug that allowed the deletion of relevant logs. To prevent future breaches, third-party account linking to staff accounts has been disabled, and IP restrictions have been significantly tightened.

Community Response and Future Steps: The community reaction has been varied, with some players commending the developer's transparency while others advocate for the implementation of two-factor authentication. Many players also expressed concerns regarding overall account security and desire for improvements to in-game content and endgame difficulty.

Summary of Key Points:

• Data Breach Confirmed: A significant data breach occurred in early January 2025.
• Compromised Information: Email addresses, Steam IDs, IP addresses, shipping addresses, and unlock codes were exposed. Some accounts also had transaction and private message history accessed.
• Cause: A compromised developer account linked to a Steam account used for testing.
• Response: Immediate account lockdown, password resets, bug fixes, and enhanced security measures implemented.
• Community Feedback: Mixed reactions, with calls for improved security features and game content updates.

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of maintaining robust security in online gaming environments. Grinding Gear Games' proactive response and commitment to enhancing security measures are crucial steps in regaining player trust.