Call of Duty content schedule leaked as part of alleged Activision hack

Activision Blizzard denies reports that sensitive employee data was also accessed.

Activision Blizzard has allegedly suffered from a hacking attempt that has potentially exposed sensitive employee information as well as content timelines for Call of Duty.

According to a report from TechCrunch, the data was accessed via a phishing attempt on December 4th. A collective of malware and cybersecurity experts known as vx-underground obtained screenshots of the allegedly stolen data that included a Call of Duty content schedule. Another website, Insider Gaming, reportedly confirmed the breach, stating that additional information such as employees’ “full names, emails, phone numbers, salaries, places of work, and more” were also accessed.

In an email to The Verge, Activision Blizzard spokesperson Joe Christinat wrote, “On December 4, 2022, our information security team swiftly addressed an SMS phishing attempt and quickly resolved it. Following a thorough investigation, we determined that no sensitive employee data, game code, or player data was accessed.” The carefully worded statement confirms the event took place but denies the extent of the breach as reported by TechCrunch and Insider Gaming, while also not confirming the validity of the Call of Duty content leak.

Video game leaks are becoming all too frequent. In September 2022, a hacker purportedly responsible for the massive Uber hack leaked footage from the still-in-development Grand Theft Auto VI. Rockstar Games confirmed the leak, stating that the event would not impact the game’s development.