All articles tagged with #piracy
Dodi Repacks, one of the most prolific pirate game repackers, said in a Roadmap update that they’re stepping back to marry and pursue a law degree, sharing personal blog details that elicited mixed reactions from fans online.
Subnautica 2's design lead Anthony Gallegos says piracy is understandable but flaunting it publicly is frustrating; he can't condone piracy but would rather players buy the game and try it; at launch the game drew about 446,000 concurrent paying players on Steam and later the studio reported over 2 million copies sold across PC and Xbox Series X/S; he stresses the importance of a strong launch and pushes back on misperceptions about his finances.
Forza Horizon 6 surfaced online a week before its release via unencrypted files and a crack. Playground Games vowed strict enforcement against anyone accessing the leaked build, including franchise-wide hardware bans, signaling a tough stance against pirates that could affect sales and Game Pass, even as early impressions remain broadly positive. Pirates won’t get the full experience, and the incident follows a similar prior leak pattern seen with Death Stranding 2.
Playable copies of Forza Horizon 6 appeared on piracy sites days before launch after Microsoft briefly uploaded about 155 GB of unencrypted files to Steam; CrackWatch and other communities quickly reported that the game’s copy protection was cracked and leaks spread on social media, raising concerns about potential revenue impact ahead of the official May 19 release (May 15 for the Premium Edition).
Forza Horizon 6 appeared online before its official launch after Steam reportedly allowed an unencrypted pre-load, with about 155GB of files and a DLC unlocker available to pirates; the incident mirrors a prior Death Stranding 2 leak and could impact early sales and Game Pass engagement, though the game's co-op and ghost multiplayer features may cushion the hit, and Valve may tighten pre-load checks in the future.
Forza Horizon 6 briefly appeared as unencrypted files on Steam before its May 19 release, with the leak fixed quickly but allowing some users to download cracked copies. A content creator was shown receiving an extreme ban (69,895,509 hours) from the Forza Community team, illustrating Microsoft’s hardline stance on piracy. The incident echoes past enforcement and comes as Playground Games recently detailed the game’s features and map in a post-release breakdown.
The full version of Forza Horizon 6 has leaked online and been cracked before its May 19 launch after Steam preload files (~150GB) appeared on file-sharing sites; cracks bypass online checks, Reddit users noted the leak and posts were removed, and Microsoft has not commented. The game, set in Japan with Tokyo’s neon district and more than 550 cars, is also planned for PS5 later this year, with Playground Games and Turn 10 continuing the release plans.
Pakistani families anxiously wait for news as Somali pirates hijack the tanker MT Honour 25, with 10 Pakistani sailors among a 17-member crew held captive off Somalia; with food and water dwindling and scant government communication, relatives are calling for direct action as piracy re-emerges near Somalia amid regional tensions and rising oil prices.
Yemen’s coast guard says the oil tanker M/T Eureka, hijacked off Shabwa, is steering toward Somalia via the Gulf of Aden, with the crew’s fate unknown; piracy in the region has risen as naval patrols are diverted by tensions around Iran, and international partners are coordinating to recover the vessel.
At a Florida rally, Trump said the US Navy 'took over' a ship as part of the blockade of Iranian ports, joking that the operation was 'like pirates.' The remark comes amid the broader US-Israel confrontation with Iran, including Iran's tightened control of the Strait of Hormuz and plans to charge ships passing through it. About 45 vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance with the blockade, and officials say the measure will last as long as needed; Iran vows to maintain the chokehold.
A viral theory suggests Sony’s digital PS4/PS5 game purchases come with a 30-day online license to deter piracy and refund abuse; according to a jailbroken PS4 user, the timer can vanish after about two weeks, at which point the license becomes permanent once the refund window closes. There is no official Sony confirmation yet, and reports are based on YouTube analyses and comments from VGC seeking comment.
Three vessels have been hijacked off Somalia in the past week, signaling a potential resurgence of piracy near Garacad after the cement carrier Sward was seized on April 26 and the tanker Honour 25 on April 21, with a dhow captured in between; authorities say the attacks remain ongoing and ships should remain vigilant within 150 nautical miles of the coast. Analysts attribute the rise to better-equipped pirate networks and stretched security forces as navies focus on Red Sea threats, amid broader shipping pressures around Hormuz and Bab el Mandeb, raising the possibility of a longer siege at sea.
A hypervisor-based bypass of Denuvo DRM prompted the company and its parent Irdeto to announce updated security versions and a new online check requiring verification every two weeks for affected games; FitGirl claimed the bypass makes all single-player Denuvo games cracked, with NBA 2K25/26 and Marvel's Midnight Suns cited as examples; officials insist the changes won't impact performance and will not run in Ring -1, though the DRM raises ongoing debates about ownership and preservation as anti-piracy measures evolve.
Hackers claim they bypassed Denuvo DRM using a new HVB bypass, effectively cracking games; in response, 2K is introducing 14-day online check-ins with fixed offline tokens for PC titles like NBA 2K25, NBA 2K26, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns to require periodic online verification.
Maritime authorities warn of a renewed piracy risk off Somalia after a cargo ship was seized and redirected into Somali waters, prompting UKMTO to raise the threat level to substantial. In the last week, at least four vessels (including a fishing vessel and an oil tanker) have been targeted, signaling a comeback after years of decline. Vessels are urged to transit with caution as favorable weather aids small-boat attacks, with confirmed incidents near Garacad and Mareeyo and the 22 April hijacking of the oil tanker Honour 25 reported by security officials.