// KOTAKU — GAMING
Hugely Popular RPG NIKKE Was Compromised, Installing Malicious Code On Players’ PCs
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE publisher Level Infinite is just the latest games company to acknowledge its services have been compromised in recent weeks. However, in Level Infinite’s case the attack is significantly more concerning than many of the others: the company has found that script files inside NIKKE‘s PC client have been compromised, allowing third parties to potentially access a user’s PC remotely.
As first reported by South Korean news outlet INVEN (via Automaton Media), compromises to the game’s client occurred on September 27 when hackers were able to inject malicious code inside of four JavaScript files on Level Infinite’s online servers. These were then by loaded by NIKKE’s PC launcher once the game was booted. Starting on October 30th, the compromised files were used by attackers to install a remote-access agent onto the PCs of any user who booted the game (though it was not activated on every boot or for all users).
Once installed, the PC could then be remotely accessed, giving complete access to any sensitive information or file on that user’s computer. This included, but was not limited to, passwords, cookies, and crypto wallets. These files were all removed from the server as of November 3, and as of November 4 NIKKE developer Shift Up (also known for its work on Stellar Blade) confirmed that the client had been patched.
We have identified an issue indicating that the PC Launcher's script files may have been tampered with by a third party.
Accordingly, client fixes and an update were implemented on November 4 at approximately 02:30 (UTC+9).
— GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE – 4th Anniversary (@NIKKE_en) November 4, 2026
In a statement issued in response to the incident, Level Infinite confirmed it will continue to investigate how its network security was compromised, while also confirming that PCs and account information may have been exposed. The company is advising that any user who booted up the game since September 27 should install the new client, which now includes a feature to scan and remove any malicious programs distributed due to the compromised client. It recommends all browsers are closed before doing so to ensure all files can be detected, while suggesting that users contact customer support if they have suffered loss as a result of the exposure of information.
This is just the latest in a number of security incidents impacting game studios in recent weeks, from Japanese arcade manufacturers needing to take games offline to major studios losing player data.
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