Hackers caused chaos in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege over the Christmas holiday by flooding player accounts with billions of units of virtual currency, forcing Ubisoft to shut down key services temporarily.
The chaos began over the weekend when an unknown attacker targeted Rainbow Six Siege X, the free-to-play relaunch of the popular shooter. Ubisoft was forced to take the game’s servers offline over the weekend after attackers reportedly granted players around 2 billion credits each — an amount worth roughly $13.3 million if bought legitimately. Some users also received defamatory messages during the attack.
Ubisoft acknowledged the incident publicly but avoided calling it a hack or security breach. Instead, the company described it as an issue affecting in-game services and said an investigation was underway.
Rollbacks And Service Disruptions
To undo the damage, the company began rolling back game data to a point before the attack occurred, which briefly caused some players to lose access to previously purchased items. Ubisoft said these items should be restored as systems stabilize.
The game’s servers have since been restored, allowing players to return to matches. However, the in-game marketplace — a crucial feature that allows users to purchase cosmetic items and other content — remains offline. Ubisoft says the marketplace will stay closed until it is confident the issue has been fully resolved.
In a statement shared on social media, the company said it will not ban players who received or spent the gifted currency, saying the situation is being handled carefully. Ubisoft said it is prioritizing stability and fairness while it works through the rollback process.
Security Concerns Remain
The scale of the attack has sparked questions about Rainbow Six Siege’s backend security, raising concerns that the game’s backend systems may have been accessed.
While Ubisoft has not confirmed any data theft, experts are advising players to remain cautious in light of the company’s previous security incidents in 2020 and 2022. Players are being advised to monitor their accounts closely and ensure security features such as two-factor authentication are enabled.
Rebuilding Trust
Originally released in 2015, Rainbow Six Siege, a free-to-play title, grew from a slow-selling title into one of Ubisoft’s most successful long-term games after adopting a live-service model. Over time, regular updates and competitive play helped the game sustain its popularity, keeping it relevant for nearly a decade.
While the servers are back online, restoring player trust may take longer. As Ubisoft continues its investigation, players are waiting not just for full service to return, but for reassurance that the game’s systems are secure.
