2023 has been a year of cybersecurity issues, and Destiny 2’s disconnection problems are revealed to be linked to DDoS attacks on Bungie.
The game is progressing toward wrapping up the Light and Dark saga via The Final Shape expansion, and players have been diving into the Season of the Witch content drop, which includes new activities, weapons, and the Crota’s End raid.
The Season of the Witch didn’t just bring goodies; it introduced a game-breaking bug. This unprecedented glitch permitted players to slot any perk into craftable weapons, including exotics, resulting in an imbalance in gameplay and causing some players to wield overly powerful weapon setups.
Over the past couple of days, we've seen a spike in error codes and disconnects. The team has confirmed that these error codes are not related to the planned fixes rolling out for the recent crafting issue and are instead a result of DDoS attacks. While we typically don't confirm…
— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) September 20, 2023
While Bungie has been busy patching this major exploit, players were under the impression that this could be the root cause of the game’s connection issues. However, that’s not the story, as the developers have confirmed. The real issue lies in DDoS attacks, casting a cloud over the studio’s operations. The exploit and the disconnection problems are, in fact, unrelated, and Bungie is actively working to resolve both issues.
DDoS attack hits Destiny 2
“Over the past couple of days, we’ve seen a spike in error codes and disconnects. The team has confirmed that these error codes are not related to the planned fixes rolling out for the recent crafting issue and are instead a result of DDoS attacks,” the Bungie Help team tweeted.
Breaking from their usual protocol, the team admitted they generally don’t publicize such attacks for security reasons. However, they felt that this time, transparency was warranted.
“While we typically don’t confirm these types of attacks and do not plan to in the future for general game security reasons, we believe it’s the right thing to do for our players to communicate the added pressure to our systems given recent circumstances.”
The Destiny 2 community lauded Bungie’s forthrightness.
Happy to see this type of communication!
— Jaccob (@SSJJaccob) September 20, 2023
“Not pleased with the whole circumstance, but the honesty- for once -is appreciated,” commented one player.
Another added, “On top of the crafting exploit, that’s one hell of a weekend for you guys.”
While Bungie continues to grapple with the item crafting glitch, the community’s support bodes well for quick resolutions to these pressing issues.
2023: The year of security breaches
Destiny 2, the popular online multiplayer game, recently experienced a series of disruptions traced back to DDoS attacks. But it’s not the only one; other big names like AO3 (Archive of Our Own) and Diablo 4 have also found themselves in the crosshairs of similar cyberattacks in 2023.
This troubling pattern underscores a heightened level of cybersecurity risks this year across various digital platforms.
Never lose your ID, especially in cyberspace
DDoS attacks are doing more than just causing brief glitches in our digital lives; they’re opening doors to some seriously sketchy stuff. It’s evident that no online space is really safe anymore. Here’s why you should care:
- First up, DDoS attacks are masters of chaos, causing services to go down and making platforms unreliable.
- Don’t mistake these attacks as mere outages. They could potentially be a cover for stealing your data. Yeah, it’s that serious.
- With many of us living half our lives online, whether for work or fun, these attacks interrupt routines and can put sensitive projects or relationships at risk.
- Imagine a smoke bomb going off in a store. While you’re distracted by the chaos, thieves could be at work. Similarly, DDoS can divert attention from other forms of cyber-crime.
So as 2023 rolls on, consider this string of events such as the Destiny 2 DDoS attack, a nudge to prioritize your cybersecurity. Maybe change some passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Midjourney
