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Slay the Spire: Downfall mod used to spread malware, say devs

A now-fixed security breach on saw Slay the Spire's Downfall mod hijacked so hackers could steal players' passwords.

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

December 28, 2023

1 Min Read
Screenshot from Table 9's Slay the Spire: Downfall mod.
Image via Table 9.

At a Glance

  • Table 9 assured the recent malware hack was taken care of and Slay the Spire: Downfall is safe to download again.

Table9, the developer behind Slay the Spire's popular Downfall mod, informed players about a recent security breach that let hackers release malware via Steam.

The breach hit on Christmas Day, and tried stealing users' passwords from their internet browsers, along with messaging apps Discord and Telegram. Files that contain 'password' were also targeted.

Players would see a popup for a Unity library installer during the breach period. Table 9 said players should be fully disconnected from the internet if they investigate malware-made files on their computer.

While Table 9 had its Discord and Steam accounts hijacked and couldn't warn players right away, it did contain the breach. The hack was later reversed, and Downfall is now safe to download again.

When the hack was live, most antivirus software stopped the hack from being sent across the internet. As a result, "[players] weren't automatically damaged by the attack," said Table9.

Downfall is the newest hack to occur in games this year. Last week, Insomniac Games faced a security breach that saw workers' personal info get distributed, along with information on its upcoming projects.

Days later, Insomniac released a statement saying it was focusing on its employees' health and helping to prevent identity theft.

Earlier this week, Grand Theft Auto V's source code was released online after it was stolen in Rockstar's 2022 cyberattack. That code contained files on now-canned projects at the developer, including Bully 2 and Grand Theft Auto 6.

Table 9 has more information on the hack, and how it's working with Steam to help affected players, here.

About the Author

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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